Couples Therapy
by AnonymousDH
Summary: WIP! - "Donna, I need the -" She handed him the files. "Oh, also I didn't have a chance to -" She handed him his coffee. "Marry me?" "I took care of that too. We've been married for the last seven years." Donna recalled the conversation they had two years ago. It was the last time they spoke about it, she thought as she looked at the ring in her hand. It had been a ridiculous plan.
1. Chapter 1 - the clinic

**Re-watching all the season for the start of season 5 and the 'Marry me?' scene from the first episode got stuck in my mind. So trying something new, hope you like it :)**

 **Chapter 1 – the clinic**

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"I'm sorry," the nurse said, "but we cannot help you, Mrs. Specter."

 ***one week earlier***

Harvey had given her a couple of days off and she was visiting her sister Alice upstate. She had taken her nieces, Ella and Rosa, to the nearby playground and she wondered about how different her life could have been. If she hadn't agreed to work for him. If she hadn't reinforced her rule; if she had just told him how she felt. But she hadn't and now twelve years later, still nothing had happened. She wondered if it ever would. She looked at her nieces and she sighed. She would have wanted children. She still wanted children, but she didn't even have a relationship and waiting for Harvey or anyone else for that matter, was like waiting for a pig to fly. That afternoon she made the decision to become a mom, one way or the other.

.

Two days after she returned to the city she found herself in the waiting room of the clinic. She looked around at the other women; they were all a lot younger than herself. She wondered why they were there, they probably still had lots of time to find themselves a husband; unlike herself. She continued browsing the very old cosmopolitan when a nurse called her in.

"Please take a seat," the blonde woman somewhere in her forties said. "Tell me what's the reason for your visit," the nurse asked when she wrote down her patients name.

"I want to become a mother," she answered. "I've always wanted to become a mother, but I'm still single and I don't want to wait any longer."

"Then you've come to the right place," the nurse answered with a smile. Hesitantly she smiled back, it was what she wanted, but it didn't feel real yet. An hour later she left the clinic with a stack of papers; examples of potential donors and an appointment for a follow up meeting next Thursday.

She went to the Thai place she loved to grab some dinner before she went to her apartment. She changed into her pyjamas and placed herself on her couch; enjoying her chicken she started browsing the files. The first donor had brown hair, blue eyes, played the guitar and worked as a fire fighter.

Another was an teacher, one that claimed to 6'5", the next was an artist, an athlete. They all sounded great, but nothing really spoke to her until she picked up the last file. Brown hair, brown eyes, 6 feet tall and a lawyer. She stared at the piece of paper and sighed before she threw it back on the stack. It reminded her too much of Harvey.

She was on the verge of crying, was this really what she wanted?

It was, she wanted to become a mom, more than anything. The beeping of her phone woke her up from her thoughts. She looked at the screen, _speaking of the devil._ It was a message from Harvey asking if she was okay. She had faked being sick, single Demi Moore tear and all, so she wouldn't have to tell him where she was going that day.

 ***today***

That afternoon she sat across the forty year old nurse again. Nervous, but she couldn't really place why. "Have you already found a donor you liked?" the nurse asked. Her thoughts immediately went to the one that reminded her of Harvey. "No, not yet," she answered.

"Okay, no problem. There's plenty of time. But there is something I would like to discuss with you." Donna tilted her head, wondering where this would lead. "Alright?"

"Our clinic only helps single women."

"I know, that's why I came here," she replied. "I'm sorry," the nurse said, "but we cannot help you, Mrs. Specter." Her mouth fell open at those words and it took her a minute to reply. "That's not my name."

"Mrs. Specter, please stop lying," the nurse asked.

"But I'm not, that's not my name!"

"We do a background check of all our potential clients and this marriage record clearly states that you have been married to Harvey Reginald Specter for the last nine years. We have not found any prove of a divorce or death of your husband."


	2. Chapter 2 - the confrontation

**Wow! Thanks for all the reviews; I really appreciate it! Made me want to write the next chapter right away (instead of focussing on uni). So here's the next part, hope you like it**

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 **Chapter 2 – the confrontation**

Donna threw herself on her bed; she was in shock. _Married to Harvey._ It took her a few minutes before she could move again and when she finally could, she turned on her stomach to reach for the drawer of her nightstand. She grabbed the small black box and placed in front of her on the duvet. Sighing before she opened it and she stared at the small golden ring filled with diamonds. She had only worn it a couple of times. She took it out of the box and held it in her hands, the diamonds sparkled in the light.

 _"_ _Donna, I need the …" she handed him the files. "Oh, also I didn't have a chance to .." she handed him his coffee. "Marry me?" "I took care of that too. We've been married for the last seven years."_

She recalled the conversation they had two years ago. It was the last time they spoke about it, she recalled as she looked at the ring in her hand. It had been a ridiculous plan.

She thought about the seven years part; she only made those references to remember him about their deal all those years ago. She had meant it as a joke, but all of a sudden it was reality. She had done her part, but apparently Harvey hadn't kept up with his part of the bargain. She wondered why, what had happened?

.

The next morning Harvey stepped out of the elevator on the fiftieth floor. While he walked to his office he thought about the past week. Something was different, something was going on with Donna. She was never sick and this week she had been out twice. Yesterday she hadn't even informed him about it; she said she would be out for lunch, but she never returned. When he tried to call her, her phone went straight to voicemail. He hoped she would be there again, it just didn't feel right without her. He turned the corner at spotted her cubicle, but the redhead was missing. He swallowed, it just wasn't his day. Or week for that matter.

When he stepped in his office his eyes immediately lit up, there she was. Donna was sitting in his desk chair with her feet on his desk. She was staring at a small black box in her hand that his eyes were drawn to. _Ooh god, this is it,_ he thought as his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't really place why that happened, but he just had this gut feeling.

 _She had moved on and someone has proposed to her._

He swallowed , he didn't even know she was seeing someone. He continued walking to his desk and he noticed she hadn't even taken in that he was there. "Sure, make yourself at home," he joked at her pose. Removing her feet from his desk, she turned the desk chair towards him. She didn't speak, she just looked angry.

He wondered what was going on, but before he could speak she opened the small black box and placed in on his desk. She pushed it towards him, but she still said nothing. Harvey looked at the ring in the box and he recognized it instantly.

It was the one thing she had asked for when she agreed with his request; he even had a matching one at home. He had an idea where this was going; his request nine years ago. He thought about how she had agreed, but how he couldn't follow up on his part of the deal. He had never found the guts to tell her. _And now she had found out, she must have._ He looked at her, wondering what to say. He decided to make a joke about it. "Donna, I thought you'd never ask! Yes!"

He realised it was the wrong move when her gaze narrowed on him and she got up out of his chair.

"Cut the crap, Specter! Why the hell are we still married?"


	3. Chapter 3 - I do

**Thanks again for all the reviews! Works really motivating; here's a flashback to 9 years ago. Enjoy :)**

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 **Chapter 3: - I do**

 *** 9 years ago***

Harvey looked at the images on his laptop. He had been searching for a new apartment for quite some time now, but without success. That was until Donna helped him; she had told him about the new project near Central Park and even joined him when he went to look for the place on the eight floor; it was a split level apartment with an outdoor space facing the south. It was amazing, but when he looked at the website to make his final decision, he saw a message stating the project developer decided to add a penthouse to the building. A single floor dwelling, made out of lots of glass and a roof garden at both the side of the open living area as well as on the bedroom side. He just knew he had to get that penthouse, so he called the real estate agent to inform about the place, but the guy had to disappoint him; there were already five interested parties.

"What can I do to move up the list?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I have the money, I could pay right now."

"I'm sorry Mr. Specter, but money isn't the issue here. The developer has some strong views on the type of client he wants for the penthouse, so if you're not married yet you won't stand a chance." Harvey looked up from his computer screen and spotted the redhead, "Actually," he started, "I do have a fiancée," he said as he turned around to face the Manhattan sky line and continued talking to the real estate agent.

.

Donna turned around to grab a file, but her eye lingered on Harvey. He was sitting in his desk chair, talking on his phone. His back was turned towards her; the sunlight entered his office and just reached his face. It was like and extra layer of mystery was laid over him. She kept looking at him, taking a mental note that she had to stop doing that.

In two days it had been three years since she had followed him to Pearson Hardman and she had sworn to not fall for a guy she was working with, but somehow she couldn't help herself. Harvey was different. She tried her best to move on, to forget about him.

And every morning he came in the office with that smirk smile, a loud kind of tie, she just knew he had spent the night with the current flavour of the month. It broke her heart every single time; and she had been on the verge of quitting multiple times, but she just couldn't do it. She had to stay within his reign, because she couldn't not be near him. She couldn't control her feelings.

She had been falling in and out of love with him for over three years, cause somehow every time she finally thought she was able of letting go, there he was again. He made the two of them hang out; they would have dinner, watch a movie or grab some drinks after work. She wondered what would have happened if she hadn't followed him to the firm, or if she hadn't reinforced the rule. Her thoughts wandered off a bit more.

 _Would they have had a relationship?_

 _._

"Marry me?"

She was surprised by her own thoughts, _marriage? Would Harvey even be the marrying type…_ A little cough woke her up from her thoughts and she found herself eye to eye with Harvey, who was leaning on the edge of her desk. "Wait, what?" she asked, hoping he would repeat what he had been saying to her, so she could determine if the marriage thing really was a production of her own thoughts.

Harvey smiled at her, "so you know you've helped me with finding a new apartment and the one you picked, well it's perfect, but they also have a penthouse and I want it. There's just a tiny problem…" She tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going. _Yeah, that marriage thing was definitely part of her day dream._

"The developer only wants to sell it to a married couple."

"So?" she asked. "So," he started tapping his hands against her the partition, "I might, kind of have bragged about my hot red headed fiancée to the real estate-agent, in order to already accept the down-payment." She smiled shaking her head, "you think I'm hot?"

"I think a lot of things," he replied, "but will you do this for me?"

She frowned, raising an eyebrow she studied his face. "So I just have to pretend to be your fiancée?" she asked. "Uhm," he started, "actually, you will have to marry me. They want to see a marriage record."

"You've got to be kidding me," the words leaving her lips in a nervous laugh. He shook his head and put up his signature smile, "it's your fault anyway, you showed me the place." She sighed, "Fine, but you are going to buy me a ring."

He laughed or tried to, "A ring? You won't even wear it."

"Doesn't mean I don't want it," she countered, her posture making him shake his head. Knowing he had to give in to this if he wanted to get that apartment. "Alright, engagement ring or wedding ring?"

"Make it a wedding ring, I don't have one of those yet."

He gave her a questioning look, but didn't speak. "What?! I have been proposed to before," she raised her shoulders, giving him her 'I don't apologize for who I am' look, before she looked away again.

"You have?"

"Yes, I just never accepted," she answered truthfully. Her answer made him smile, the next question leaving his lips before he could even register why or that he asked it in the first place. "Why not?"

 _You,_ she looked down pushing away her thoughts. "Doesn't matter."

.

Two days later she walked out of her apartment building, thinking about the deal she had made with Harvey. She would marry him so he could get his penthouse and he would annul the wedding after everything was taken care of with the purchase of the apartment. She was about to hail a cab when she spotted Harvey leaning against one, most likely waiting for her . He waved at her as she walked over. "What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Giving my fiancée a lift," he joked, "get in."

When they drove past the glass façade of the building she had spent most of her time in the past two years, she turned to face Harvey. "Where are we going?" she asked. "City hall," he answered as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Now?!" she slightly panicked.

"Yes, the real estate agent gave me a week to finalize the deal," he shrugged his shoulders as he continued looking ahead. "Wow," she mumbled, "you really know how to court a woman."

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just," she looked down letting out a sigh, "if it were up to me, this would have been so different." He turned to his right, "Really, so what is your perfect wedding?" he asked. Donna thought for a moment when she started, "it would be intimate, just family and close friends. A beach wedding in Nantucket…"

"Nantucket?"

"Shut up," she laughed. "yes Nantucket, my grandparents have a beach house there. I would wear a slightly off white mermaid style wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and you would wear…"

"Me?" he repeated softly. _Shit_ , she cursed herself for drifting off. "The groom would wear a grey suit and the place would be decorated with lots of lights and flowers," she concluded. He just smiled at her, _she had definitely just pictured herself marrying him,_ "Next time," he whispered.

She looked up at him, she didn't even hear his last statement. "You're so buying me a new handbag," she shook her head still not completely believing she was actually doing this. "I know," he said as he reached to his left and placed the new Marni bag on her lap. "Now let's go."

.

They got out of the car and climbed the steps to the entrance to City Hall when all of a sudden Donna grabbed his arm, "wait!" she exclaimed, making both of them come to a halt before she let go of him again. "What? If you're backing out, you're returning the handbag," he countered.

"No," she shook her head, she wasn't going to back out, "but don't I have to sign something upfront for the divorce thing?" He frowned at her, "Do you mean a prenup?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "well, you're the lawyer here."

"Don't worry about it, that doesn't matter if we annul the wedding," he said, his left hand lingering on the small of her back and continued walking.

.

Donna looked around when they entered the room. This had, in all her theatre years combined, to be the weirdest role she had ever played, but somehow it didn't feel weird at all. She stood opposite of Harvey and although they were wearing their regular working clothes, there was no-one they knew and let's face it, it was fake, it felt right.

She looked at him and he smiled at her. One of those smiles he'd given her when they'd just met. _Focus, Paulsen, focus. This is fake,_ she reminded herself. He looked her right in the eye when he said " I do" and he whispered "thank you" when he placed the ring on her finger.

His fingers lingered just a second too long on her hand. They never really touched anymore, not since the other time. It was this unspoken agreement between the two of them that she was secretly happy about; it would have been undoable otherwise.

His touch sent a shiver down her spine as she looked down at the small golden band filled with diamonds on her ring finger. It was simply gorgeous and she hadn't even picked it herself. She whispered "No problem," when she placed the matching plain golden ring on his hand.

She swallowed, it was as if she was living a dream at the moment, a dream that she abruptly woke up from when she heard the minister say, "Now you may kiss the bride." She stood perplex, somehow she had completely forgotten about this part of a wedding. She wanted to protest, but before she could Harvey had closed the distance between them and his lips met hers.

Her heart skipped a beat, she got goose bumps on her arms and it took a few seconds before her instinct kicked in and she kissed him back. He tasted of coffee and scotch and it instantly reminded her of the other time. When they broke their kiss he winked at her, she just swallowed unable to speak.

She had just made the biggest mistake of her life.


	4. Chapter 4 - Judge Palermo

**Chapter 4 – Judge Palermo**

 _Why the hell are we still married?_

He repeated the words in his head. She had definitely found out. He thought for a second about telling the truth, that he simply couldn't do it. Annul their wedding. He had postponed taking care of the annulment because of the house warming party.

That night had made him realise that he had made a mistake accepting her rule. As much as he needed her in his life in whatever way she allowed him, he still felt there was something going on between them.

The final drop was his farther passing away. Gordon had always loved Donna and kept bugging him about their relationship. If and when he was going to marry her? He never told his father about their deal, but after he passed away he couldn't undo it anymore. From that moment on he kind of had forgotten that he still had to take care of it. Not that he had really forgotten about it, he just chose to ignore it.

"I forgot," he lied, he couldn't tell her the real reason he had never annulled their wedding. _She had to have that stupid rule and worse she had to reinforce it._

"You forgot?"

"Yeah, Donna," he shook his head, not wanting to look at her, "Sometimes people, just forget about things." She swallowed, his last statement hit her hard. She knew neither of them had a memory like Mike, but forgetting he had married her? _He lived in the freaking reason they got married._

She realised she had hoped for something, anything, a reason for them to be still married. But apparently there wasn't and now she was just angry. "Fix it," she ordered as she walked around the desk, towards the door of his office. "Fine," he scoffed back, "Could you get judge Palermo on the phone for me?"

"Ooh, so now you've forgotten how to use a phone as well?!" she yelled. He stared at her in disbelief, his jaw clenching as he fought the urge to yell something back at her, but he knew it wasn't her fault. "I'm out for lunch," she said as she stormed out of the office.

.

Scottie's mouth fell open at hearing the discussion going on in Harvey's office. She knew it; she just knew. The lying bastard. It reminded her of the one thing that had always annoyed her, his door number sign which read Harvey & Donna.

He had always explained that it was a joke from the real estate agent as she had helped him get the apartment, she never understood why he had never replaced the it.

She recalled an argument before they split; she had been scooping around his penthouse when he wasn't there and she had found a golden ring in his desk drawer. At first she hoped he would propose, but she quickly realised the ring was way too big and designed for a man.

She wondered if Harvey had ever been married without her knowing it, but that couldn't be the case. Harvey had severe commitment issues. Maybe it was his father's wedding ring? She had questioned Harvey if he ever had been in a relationship with Donna, the only woman that made sense in this picture, and he flat out said no.

She tried to believe him, but Donna somehow was the basis of all there fights. The drop that made the cup flow over was when she accused him of lying about his feelings for Donna. He had never answered that question and she knew why; he couldn't tell her the truth. So she had walked away; knowing that she wasn't enough for him at the time.

It was eight months later and she was in the city for business. Deep down she had wanted to give their relationship or whatever it was another shot. She had come to convince him, but when she heard the yelling coming from his office she got stopped in her tracks.

He had been married to Donna even when he was with her. She hid when Donna stormed out of the office and she stormed in with the same anger. Harvey didn't look up at the sound of the heels of his floor; he wasn't in the mood. "Donna, not now!"

"Ooh, I'm most definitely not Donna," she laughed nervously.

Harvey looked up, letting out a sigh as he took in the woman in front of him "Scottie," he nodded. "Harvey," she answered in the same flat tone. "What are you doing here?" he was surprised to see her, but annoyed at the same time.

"I was in town and came to ask if you wanted to grab dinner, but I guess your wife wouldn't approve," she shook her head, her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about," he said as he got out of his chair and walked towards her. "Donna," she answered, a combination of anger and hurt clearly visible in her voice.

"Scottie, it's not what.." but before he could finish his sentence she slapped him in the face. "You lying bastard!"

His eyes closed by the impact of her palm on his cheek, his jaw clenching as he looked at her, but he knew he deserved it. Even though it had never really been like that. He'd never been in a romantic relationship with Donna, he just hadn't been able to keep up with his end of the deal. "Scottie, listen.." he tried. "No! I'm done listening to you. I'm done," she said as she walked away.

He let out a sigh, but he didn't even bother going after her. Within the course of ten minutes two important woman had walked out of his life, but there was only one that really mattered to him. Harvey retreated himself back to his desk, wondering how he was going to get himself out of this situation. He let himself fall down in his chair and he sighed.

Opening the bottom drawer of his desk, he reached for the folder that had been there for nine years. He sighed again, as if he was finding the courage to just open the folder. When he did, he stared at the file, at the signed date and at Donna's autograph.

The spot where he was supposed to sign still empty. He picked up his phone and dialled judge Palermo's number, afterwards he texted Donna. **'Called Palermo. Meeting tomorrow; I will pick you up at 10 am. - H'**

 _There was no way back now._


	5. Chapter 5 - Court ordered

**Sorry it has taken this long to update, but the new chapter is almost finished ;) Just wanted to let you know I have zero legal background. I did do some research on annulment, but I decided to focus on what I needed for the story instead of the correct procedure. Anyway, enjoy :)**

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 **Chapter 5 – Court ordered**

Donna closed the zipper of her cobalt blue dress, she was almost ready to leave for court that morning when her phone beeped. She unlocked the screen to read the message from Harvey: **'Almost ready? Ray's waiting outside your building. – H.'**

She sighed as she reluctantly put her phone in her bag. She didn't want to go to court with him, but their discussion about it yesterday had led to nowhere and she had only agreed so he would shut up about it. She grabbed her purse and stormed down the stairs.

Outside she saw the familiar black Lexus, this time with Ray waiting at the door. _Harvey wasn't there._ She didn't know if she was relieved about the fact that Harvey wasn't there or not, but somehow she had expected him to be there. "Good morning, Ray," she smiled.

"Good morning, Miss Paulsen," the driver answered as he opened the door for her. She wondered if Ray didn't know that that officially wasn't her name or if Harvey had instructed him to emphasize it. She didn't get the chance to question Ray about it though, because when she set herself down she found herself face to face with Harvey. "Donna," he mumbled.

She nodded at him and placed her bag on her left side. By doing that she heard something rattle, making her look down at the spot in between them. She recognized it instantly; it wasn't the one from her desk, but the one she had given him for his apartment. She looked up at him and he was staring at her with his signature smirk smile. "You've got to be freaking kidding me," Donna said to him.

"What?" His shoulders raised, he pretended to not know what she was talking about. "No," she said firmly this time as she shook her head. There was no way on earth she was going to do this. "Donna, we're going to court," he argued.

"No."

"I can't go to court without doing," but she cut him off. "No, no way," she raised her index finger at him. "If I lose," he mumbled, "it's on you," he crooked his head in her direction. Knowing there was one thing she hated more than him losing, thinking it was something she did that made him lose in the first place. "Fine," she said as she grabbed the engraved can opener and opened the box of thumbtacks.

.

She walked next to him when they entered the courtroom, her head crooked to the right she wondered what the plan was. "Okay, so how are we going to do this?" Donna asked him. "Just let me do the talking, we'll be done within an hour," he reassured her, a small smile on his lips as he signalled her to continue walking.

"Judge, Palermo. How are you today?" he greeted the judge Nicholas with a smile.

"Cut the crap Specter, what is this for bullshit you made me schedule you in last minute?" Nicholas Palermo countered. "An annulment, your honour," Harvey answered truthfully. "The two of you are married?" Nicholas asked in disbelieve. Donna just nodded, unable to provide a verbal answer.

"Alright," judge Palermo shook his head, "Show me the paper work." He signalled for Harvey to walk over. The lawyer handed over their marriage record and Nicholas looked at them: "Okay, so after nine years you want to have an annulment, is that correct?"

"Yes, your honour," Harvey answered.

"Alright, on what grounds? You haven't given me proof of a mental illness for either of you and both of you were of legal age when the marriage took place," Palermo asked but neither of them answered so the judge continued: "Mrs. Specter, have you ever been physically abused by your significant other?"

It took a couple of seconds before Donna realised judge Palermo was addressing the question to her. "Uhm, no, your honour. I've never been physically abused." Nicholas nodded, writing something down before he looked back up to the redhead, "Has your husband ever cheated on you, Mrs. Specter?"

Donna looked at Harvey and thought about Scottie and all the other nameless women he had been with when they were technically married, but it wasn't like that. It hadn't been like that. They had never been together. "No, he has not," she answered.

"So to conclude there is no history of infidelity, physical abuse, mental illness and both of you were of legal age," judge Palermo stated, "name me one good reason why I would agree continuing with the annulment procedure."

Harvey was about to protest to Palermo's argument when Donna interrupted him. "The marriage has not been consummated, you honour." Harvey's head turned to face Donna, he was quite shocked by her statement which wasn't valid because they did not get married in a church and _'that's not my fault'_ was on the tip of his tongue, but yet again, before he could speak judge Palermo started talking. "Really?! That's what you're going with? Mr. Specter, I know your reputation and quite frankly I don't believe a word of it."

"Your honour," Harvey started trying to save the situation.

"Let me finish counsellor," judge Palermo ordered, "I don't know why the two of you got married, but besides the fact that the five year limit has already been reached; there is no ground for annulment. The only reason I can think of is the fact that you got married without a prenup and this is your idea of getting out of that. I will therefore not allow an annulment. In fact, because you dare to waste my time with such a bullshit proposal you'll get a $2000 fine. And before I even consider accepting your divorce procedure, I order you to go to couples therapy."

 _._

 _Couples therapy. Therapy with Harvey._

Donna let the words of judge Palermo go on repeat in her head, couples therapy. She had left the room in shock, this was not what was supposed to happen. Harvey stormed out of the courtroom, he had stayed to argue with Nicholas, but his conversation had let to nowhere. "What the hell was that?" he exclaimed to Donna when he saw her in the hall way.

"What?"

"The marriage hasn't been consummated, where the hell did that come from?!" he pushed, stepping closer to her. "Well," she mumbled, getting back on her feet, "it hasn't! And it's a reason for annulment, right?"

"That's not my fault!" he exclaimed at her, his hands in the air. Dropping them instantly as he saw her face change. "Seriously, seriously, Harvey?!" she yelled back at him, furious that he was holding that against her.

"Never mind," he concluded, turning away a bit, "and no, it's not a reason for annulment."

"It isn't?" she whispered, "But.."

"No," he shook his head, "because we didn't get married in a church."

"Ooh," she said as he let her head hang down. She did not know that or maybe she did and this was just the result of watching to many period TV shows. "What do we do?" she mumbled looking at him, ashamed of her screw up. "We have to go to therapy tomorrow," he said shrugging at the thought about having to talk about his feelings.

In front of Donna.


	6. Chapter 6 - Dr Agard

**Thanks for the reviews! Love reading your opinions/ views on the story. Here's their first therapy session; hope you like it :)**

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 **Chapter 6 – Dr. Agard**

"Please sit down," dr. Agard signalled to both them while she seated herself in her off white armchair. Donna walked to the right end side of the matching couch and Harvey placed himself on the left end side.

"Alright, so please tell me why you are here, Mr. & Mrs. Specter," the blonde started.

"It's Miss Paulsen," Donna stated with a frown on her face, getting more annoyed by the minute. She really didn't want to be here. "You know why we are here," Harvey added in a beat.

"I do," Paula confirmed as she looked at the files on her lap, "but I want to hear it from you."

Donna lifted her head and started looking at the decorative frame of the ceiling. Harvey noticed her move and knew that she wasn't going to talk, making him sigh. "We're here because judge Palermo ordered us to go."

"I know, Harvey," Paula nodded, "May I call you Harvey? But I want you to tell me why," dr. Agard continued. "Sure," he answered regarding his name, before he paused for a second. "We're here in order to get our divorce procedure started."

Donna swallowed at hearing him say those words. The term divorce made it sound so much more intimidating. She needed their marriage to be over, but hearing him say it out loud made her feel uncomfortable.

"Okay," dr. Agard continued, "so tell me Harvey when did you and Ms. Paulsen get married?"

"Donna and I got married nine years ago, last month," he answered with a sincerely. Donna turned her head and looked at him, she was surprised he knew to answer that question so specific. Her accompanied change in her facial expression did not go unnoticed to dr. Agard. "Donna, you look surprised. Care to explain why?"

 _Why? Why was she surprised._ Donna thought about it and concluded it was because she was usually the one reminding him of important dates. Being the one that manages his calendar and everyday life after all. "Does this mean this date has a special meaning to you, Harvey?" Paula asked.

Harvey raised his eyebrows, cursing at himself for getting himself in this mess. Donna just started laughing at Paula's question. "What's so funny about this? Isn't the day the two of you got married supposed to have a special meaning?" the therapist countered.

Donna answered the question with 'no' at the same time Harvey answered with 'yes', making Harvey look at Donna for the first time during this session. Wondering why she flat out said that it didn't mean anything to her.

"Harvey, why did you answer with yes?"

Harvey opened his mouth to answer, but somehow he couldn't. He didn't know what to say; still bother by the stone cold look on Donna's face. "Because it meant he could get his precious pent house," Donna rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Pent house? I'm sorry, I don't understand," Paula confessed as she wrote this down in her notebook. Realising this wasn't the typical kind of couple she's used to helping. "We got married so Harvey could buy his apartment," Donna spoked, "it was only available for married couples."

"Okay, so the two of you did not get married out of love," dr. Agard replied. It was more of an statement than a question, but it got Donna thinking. _Married out of love._ She thought about the moment he asked her nine years ago; she had been in love with him at the time.

She'd finally been able to admit it to herself when he had kissed her for the second time, at their pretend wedding. She knew she had done this out of love, although it was fake and she'd done it to help him. She had done so because she loved him.

She hesitated, not sure if she was going to answer, but decided not to when Harvey remained silent as well. "Donna, why did you marry him?" Agard asked again. "So he could get his apartment, can we move on already?" Donna asked, getting annoyed by the line of questioning Paula had been directing at her.

"I know that, Donna," Paula nodded, "But why? Why did you do that for him?"

"Because he asked," she answered. It was the truth, although only partially. The main reason was to help him, but she would be lying to herself if she hadn't done it so she could finally live her fantasy; even though it would be fake and only for a couple of weeks.

"Just like that?" Agard pushed her further. "Yes," Donna sighed, "he asked and I helped," she answered looking away to the desk on her right. "That's a hell of a lot to do for someone," Paula concluded, "don't you agree, Harvey?"

"It is and I'm really thankful for it. Donna knows that," he replied looking at Donna and back at the blonde. "I'm sorry to say, but Donna looks quite pissed at the moment," Paula said signalling at Donna, "could you give me a reason for her to be upset?"

"Because she's here since I didn't keep up with my part of our deal."

"Deal? Tell me about your deal," Paula signalled with her pen, as she took some notes. "Like she said the deal was to get married so I could buy my apartment and I would annul the wedding after everything was taken care of."

"How come you didn't annul your wedding?" It was the second time this week Harvey found himself questioned on this subject, but he decided to stick to the answer he had given Donna. "I forgot."

"You forgot," Paula repeated, her eyebrows raised as she questioned his answer. "And yet you know to date the exact duration of your marriage." Harvey's mouth fell open and he narrowed his eyebrows, this dr. Agard was something else. Normally he could appreciate someone who could tell him where it comes down to, but now it made him feel nervous.

"What made you remember?" the therapist asked, not buying any of this story. From either of them. "I found out," Donna interrupted them. "You found out? After nine years?" Paula asked sceptically.

"Yes."

"I'm finding it very hard to believe this, Donna," Paula countered, "you've known each other for over nine years, you manage his everyday life. You claim you know everything, yet you just found out about this?"

"It's the truth. I got kicked out of an IVF clinic the other day, because apparently we're still married!" Donna exclaimed moving her hand up and down between Harvey and herself to emphasize the last part of her statement.

"You what?!" Harvey countered, moving towards Donna. Donna looked at him with her big hazel eyes, she was shocked by his reaction, but more by what she had just done herself. She was so annoyed by dr. Agard she didn't even realise she just confessed this.

Dr. Agard looked at the two people sitting on the couch in front of her. Their faces now only inches apart, staring in each other's eyes. She jotted something down in the notebook that lay on her lap. There was something about these two, she just couldn't really put it into words, but she felt there was no way they were just colleagues or friends even. They used carefully chosen words, but their facial expressions and their body language betrayed them. Even if they didn't realize it themselves.

"Okay, stop!" she interrupted them, both Donna and Harvey moved back to their original position and looked at Paula. "It doesn't matter how you found out, what matters is that the two of you have to talk to me about your marriage problems. But by the looks of it neither of you knows what's it's like to actually be married."

"So?" Harvey questioned, "just report to judge Palermo that we went to see you and that we can now proceed with our divorce."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Specter, I'm not going to sign you off just like that, you'll have to talk to me about why this marriage isn't working," Paula explained again. "It's fake, that's why it's not working," Harvey argued. "I know it's fake. The two of you might not take marriage serious, but I do. I want you to experience what a marriage is like," Paula stated.

"Uh, what?" Donna asked, not sure if she understood what she thought she had heard. "You heard me correctly, I want both of you to understand what it means to be married."

"You're joking, right?" A nervous laugh escaped the redheads lips. "No. I'm not. The two of you pretended to be married for nine years, you can pretend one more week. Neither of you is in a relationship with someone else, am I correct?"

Donna nodded, while Harvey asked what she meant with one more week part. "I want the two of you to live together for one week while we continue with these sessions," dr. Agard decided. "You want us to live together? What for bullshit therapy is this?" Harvey asked trying to negotiate his way out of it. Ever the lawyer.

"The kind of therapy you are ordered to follow," Paula countered, "and yes, I want you to live together for a week in the reason you got married in the first place. This started with Donna helping you get what you wanted, now it's your turn to help Donna get her divorce."

.

"Donna, wait!" he exclaimed, but she didn't listen to him. Harvey had to increase his step to catch up with Donna, but only when he grabbed her arm she got stopped in her tracks. She looked at his hand on her arm, they didn't touch. She turned around letting out a sigh, before she looked up at him. He had never seen her this angry and disappointed at the same time. Not even after the missing file or Stephen debacle.

"Let me go."

"Donna, I'm sorry," he said, not even noticing he was still holding onto her. She looked down at his hand and back up to him. "Let go," she hissed, but his grip lessening, but he didn't let go completely. "Donna, it's not my fault we have to live together!"

Her hand fell around his when he moved too slowly to her liking. Lifting it, she removed it from her arm, before she pulled her hand back. "It is! It literally is your fault!" she yelled at him as she turned around and started walking away.

"Where are you going?!" he replied, clenching his hand from the touch of Donna's hand on his. "Home!" she replied as she looked over her shoulder as she continued walking away, tears were forming in her eyes. "You can't go home, we have to live together!" he yelled back at her, now getting strange looks from the other people on the street.

"I don't have to do shit!" she bawled back at him, "and I certainly don't have to live with you!"

.

 _'_ _I certainly don't have to live with you!'_

He knew the circumstances were anything but perfect, but to hear her yell she didn't want to live with him hurt more than he had anticipated. Harvey wanted to yell something about the fine he could get for ignoring the court order, but he decided not to.

He didn't care about the money. He never had, all he wanted was to fix this mess with Donna.

He called Ray to pick him up and thought about a way to approach Donna on his way home. Normally he didn't pay much attention to his hallway, but today was different; he was struggling with his key which made him look at the sign next to his door. He sighed, _damn Donna._


	7. Chapter 7 - The House warming Party

**Thanks for all the reviews! All I can say right now is that the topics mentioned in the reviews will a addressed; especially the living together part which was the main idea for this story… just have to figure out how :) In the meantime another flash back. Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – The House Warming Party**

 ***9 years ago***

After the purchase of the pent house was finalized, Donna had helped him decorate his new apartment. The overall layout, the colour scheme and they even went shopping together. The only thing she had let him do by his own was testing the beds.

Harvey looked around at all the boxes in his apartment and how everything was coming together. He heard Donna opening the kitchen cabinets and putting away some of his tableware. He quickly moved towards her to take the stack of plates from her hands.

As he did his fingers touched hers and she looked up at him at the unexpected touch; immediately reminding her of their kiss just a couple of days ago. Ever since that day her head had been spinning, but she knew she couldn't give into this. She was just helping him.

Harvey placed the tableware in the cabinet, quickly moving his hands behind his back afterwards. He had to clench his fist to stop shaking from the contact with Donna's skin. He was about to thank her for her help when his phone rang; it was Jessica and she needed him to come to the firm right away.

"I'm sorry," he said, "Jessica needs me at the firm."

"No problem," she replied, "I can stay and continue with the unpacking if you like." She knew she was the one to decide where everything should go anyway, so waiting for him to return would be pointless. Besides she didn't know if she'd be able to be around him any longer without giving in to her feelings.

"Thanks for everything, Donna," he said as he moved closer, placing a kiss on her cheek. It wasn't something he thought of doing, it just happened and he quickly moved back when he realised what he'd done and how they don't touch. Donna swallowed, she lowered her head to cover her face with her hair. She just knew she was blushing.

.

After working on the finishing touches she returned to the firm. "Everything but your couch is there, you'll have to set an appointment for delivery," she said when she entered his office, her eyes locking with his for the briefest of moments. "Thank you, Mrs. Specter," he teased her and she shook her head with a smile appearing on her lips.

The case Jessica had called him for had been difficult and he was happy Donna was back. They worked together on the case and he treated her on the shitty Thai food she loved to thank her for her help, yet again.

It was already eleven o'clock when he finally went home. Although he'd already had diner he somehow ended up in his kitchen anyway. He checked the cabinets and thought about Donna, how he had wanted to kiss her again that afternoon. He realised it when he kissed her on her cheek.

He spotted the pasta machine and remembered how Gordon had taught him to make pasta. Opening a random drawer next a smile appeared on his face. There was a can opener with a big red bow in the kitchen drawer. He smiled.

 _How Donna knew him. It was almost too much…_ His mind wandered off again to how he had kissed her at the town hall and how it had made him want more, like the other time. He walked to his fridge, _would she?_ He opened the door, but there was no sign of whipped cream. He didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed; either way he knew that Donna was going to be the death of him and he wouldn't be able to only play pretend.

.

The next morning Harvey was at the office working on the case Jessica assigned him when Donna walked into his office holding a piece of paper. "Another case?" he asked her. "No," she answered with a slight sigh as she looked at the paper in her hand.

She knew he was busy and although he said he would take care of it she knew she would have had to remind him of it. So instead of telling him to take care of it, she got the paper herself. Cause she couldn't bring herself to actually pronounce the words; she also knew that if she didn't do this now it would break her in the end. She placed the annulment paper on his desk. "All you've got to do is sign and post it."

Harvey looked at the paper on his desk when Donna turned around and walked back to her cubicle. He stared at her autograph. _She had already signed, shit._

He had promised to take care of it, but he hadn't found the courage yet to do so. He sighed, he had to sign it now that Donna had given it to him. He reached for a pen when a notification popped up his computer screen. It was an invitation for a party with all the new tenants of the building. He looked at the piece of paper in front of him, this would have to wait.

.

That Saturday evening Harvey was waiting in the lobby of his apartment building. He looked around at the other tenants, most of them were in their thirties, happy looking couples that no doubt all had very well paid jobs. He walked towards the bar to grab a drink when the real estate agent walked up to him.

"Harveeey!" the man said as he patted him on the back. "You talkin' to me?" Harvey answered in his best Robert de Niro voice. "Ms. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?" the man replied and both of them started laughing. "Good to see you Alexander," Harvey answered raising his glass to toast with the other man.

They continued talking about business, when in the corner of his eye he spotted a red up do. He just knew it was her. "If, you'll excuse me," he said to Alexander as he grabbed two glasses of champagne and walked towards her. The closer he got the more he got to see of her; her hair was up in a knot revealing her perfect neck.

His mind wandered off to the time he kissed that neck, the spot just above her collarbone where she was extra sensitive. Her fingers pressing in his back as his hands travelled down her waist. He took a couple more steps towards her, now being able to see the pastel mint blue dress; his eyes lingered to the deep V-cut. He thought about the freckles that were now covered by the fabric.

Another two steps showed how the dress hugged her every curve and had a giant split at the front revealing her long slim legs. Donna turned her head around and saw Harvey walking towards her. His eyes met hers and when she smiled at him Harvey could feel his heart skip a beat.

"There's my gorgeous wife," he whispered to her handing her the glass of champagne. Donna tried to hide her blush by looking down and smiling at his comment, but it was effecting her more than she would like to admit. His hand on the small of her back wasn't helping either.

.

Donna heard the opening tune and instantly recognized it, it was her favourite song. She was just about to turn around and ask Harvey to dance with her when she felt his hand grabbing hers. Sending shivers down her spine. She quickly looked at their hands but before she could question his move he dragged her to the dancefloor and swirled her around until she landed in his arms. She looked up to him, his eyes meeting her and she asked why. They'd only danced together a few times.

"It occurred to me that we never had a first dance," he told her not breaking their eye contact, "and I thought this song would be perfect for it." She smiled looking down again, "its's my favourite." He smiled upon hearing her words, he knew that, but all he did was look at the woman in his arms.

.

At the end of the house warming party they walked through the hallway to his apartment chatting about the events of that evening. Donna was barely capable of walking straight, his hand on her back making her knees weak. Glad when they finally reached his door, she leaned against the doorpost releasing herself from Harvey's grip when she spotted the sign. "What's this?"

He looked up and noticed it now too, he started laughing. "I didn't put that up there," he tapped his hand against the sign. "Well at least you've completed one of your goals," she said with a big smile. He gave her a questioning face. "You're name's on the door," she joked.

"Our names are on the door," he replied with a smirk smile, "now get in."

He had invited her back for a drink. To thank her once more for all her help, show her how everything looked now, but mostly he wasn't ready to call it night yet. He guided her inside, the frown on her face making him realise he had completely forgotten his couch hadn't gotten in yet.

"Really, Specter, the one thing you were supposed to take care of still isn't here, where do you expect me to sit?" The smirk smile on his face curled up even more, and she recognized that look. "Oh, no, I'm not going to sit on your bed," she said as she lowered herself on the rug in front of the fire place. Harvey went to get both of them a glass of scotch and placed himself next to her.

"Thanks Donna, for everything," he said as he handed her the tumbler with auburn liquid. She smiled at him as she took the glass from his hand. "No problem," she whispered, taking a sip from her drink she listened to the record he had put on. It was his father. "Has Gordon seen this place already? You should really invite him."

He thought about his father and how he hadn't seen him in a while. "I will," he whispered, "but I guess I really do have to get that couch here first. Can't let him sit on the ground." Donna shot him a semi angry look before she put her glass down and lay herself on her back, staring at the ceiling. She felt Harvey's eyes burning on her skin, she swallowed and turned her head to look at him; "stop staring at me like that."

"Like what?" he replied.

"My eyes are up here, you know," she rolled said eyes before she briefly looked in his direction, but it was long enough for his eyes to meet hers. He lay himself on his back next to her. "Can't help it, it's that dress," he confessed. Her dresses had always been a distraction, but this one in particular.

"Glad you like it, because it only cost you a small fortune," she said reproducing his smirk smile.

They continued chatting for about the firm, Jessica, Louis and even Hardman. They talked about the apartment, but he noticed she never talked about the two of them. After a while they were just staring at the ceiling in a comfortable silence.

He adjusted his arm and his hand touched Donna's. His first instinct was to back out, he knew he couldn't because of her rule, but the alcohol inside him didn't let him. His thumb caressed her open palm. "Donna," he whispered gently, "why did you reinforce your rule?"

But all he heard was Donna breathing regularly, she was already asleep.


	8. Chapter 8 - The Key

**Thanks again for the reviews/ follows/ favs! Works really motivating; here's the next part. Hope you like it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – The Key**

Donna woke up that Monday morning with a massive headache. After the ridiculous assignment from dr. Agard she had gotten into a huge fight with Harvey, which had led to a lot of Chunky Monkey and wine. She didn't want to go to work, she didn't want to face him, but she knew she had to. Harvey had a very important meeting later that day and if she wouldn't be there to prepare him for it and take care of his other business, she would never hear the end of it.

.

Harvey stood in the elevator, patiently waiting for it to reach the fiftieth floor. He yawned, it was early. Much earlier than he used to go to the office, but this time it was on purpose. He hoped to be there before Donna, but it apparently still wasn't his day as she was already there.

He continued walking, trying to figure out what to say or what to do, but the pissed off look on her face wasn't helping. When he reached her cubicle she didn't greet him, she didn't even look up to him. Harvey sighed and turned to the right entering his office.

He took place behind his desk and fired up his laptop, but he couldn't focus. After reading the same sentence for the tenth time that morning his gaze went to the redhead outside his office. Over three hours had passed since he had entered the office and they still hadn't spoken about their fight from day before. In fact she hadn't even acknowledged that he was there. He knew she was deliberately ignoring him and he couldn't even blame her.

.

Mike walked through the fiftieth floor towards Harvey's office, he spotted the older man behind his desk. He looked like he was busy and since he wasn't currently working on a case for Harvey he hesitated if he could enter just like that. He stopped in front of Donna's cubicle, leaning on the edge his head resting in his hands. Donna turned around and looked at Mike, "What do you want, Mike?" she asked.

"Is he busy?" the young lawyer asked pointing his head at Harvey. Donna raised her shoulders, "Probably, I don't know." Mike raised his eyebrows, "You. Donna. Don't know?"

"Go, Mike," she sighed, "Please just go."

"Oooh, are mommy and daddy fighting?" he teased when he walked to the door. Getting a very angry look from Donna. Harvey watched the scene in front of him and although it was unintentional, his gaze met hers for a second when she gave Mike a death stare. He quickly looked back at the paper in front of him, pretending to be working.

"What did you do?" Mike asked as he walked up to Harvey's desk. "Mike, not now. I'm busy," Harvey replied, without looking up to the associate. "Really?" Mike asked, tapping on the blank piece of paper in front of Harvey, making him sigh and turn around in his chair, "Fine, what do you want?"

"I came to ask if you needed help with the case, but now I'd like to know what you did to Donna." Harvey brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose, his headache was getting worse by Mike's questioning. He quickly looked to at Donna before he turned the intercom off, "nothing."

"Nothing?" Mike replied, "you did not just turn off your intercom because you did nothing."

"I don't want to talk about it," he sighed. "Oooh, you screwed up, didn't you?" Harvey sighed once more, closing his eyes. "I did." Mike nodded slowly, stepping closer. "What are going to do about it? I've never seen her this pissed off."

"I don't know," Harvey answered and it was the truth. He didn't know what to do, but he did know he didn't want to talk about it with Mike. Or anyone else for that matter. "I need you to find anything you can on Laurence Devon."

After Mike left his office, Harvey turned the intercom back on and turned his desk chair around to stare out of his window. He heard the door of his office open accompanied with the clicking of her heels on the floor. He smiled, happy she was the one to cave and he turned his chair around to face her, but his smile disappeared when he saw her disappointed face.

She stepped aside. "Mr. Hamilton is here to see you," she spoke, before she turned around. Harvey swallowed his thank you in and got up to greet the man and guide him towards conference room C. After the meeting Harvey was standing in front of the conference room. He might sound like a coward, but he didn't want to go back to his office. He didn't want to face Donna, he didn't know how.

.

She was about to enjoy a cup of tea during her afternoon break when she heard someone knocking on the door. Dr. Agard sighed, got up out of her chair and opened the door. "Harvey, what are you doing here?" she asked when she saw him leaning against her doorpost his head hang down.

"I screwed up," he replied.

She looked at him, he looked defeated, distress visible in his eyes. "I know, get in." She walked back towards her off white arm chair and signalled Harvey to sit down on the couch, just like she had done the day before. "What happened after the two of you left?"

"We got into a fight and now she won't talk to me."

"Where did you fight about?" she asked, reaching for her notebook. "What do you think," he countered. "This, your assignment," he signalled the room around them. "She doesn't want to live with you, and I don't blame her."

Harvey raised his eyebrows, "Why?"

"Harvey, she married you to help you get your apartment. I bet she did a dozen of other similar things to help you and I think she would also do this, if you hadn't betrayed her," the therapist spoke. "Betrayed her?" he repeated, frowning.

"You broke your word to her, Harvey. The only thing she got out of this deal was your word and you broke it."

He thought about it and felt ashamed, he always prided himself on his loyalty. It being a two way street, but how dr. Agard put it, he hadn't done that for Donna. "She doesn't trust me," he concluded out loud.

"I don't think she stopped trusting you, Harvey. But you do have to reassure her that she can trust you."

"I don't think I can convince her to do this therapy thing, even if it's to help her," he looked down at his hands. "You're right," Paula spoke, "This is for her, but I'm sorry you will have to convince her. Because without the therapy I cannot sign you off to judge Palermo."

"How? She doesn't even want to talk to me," he countered. "You know they say a picture tells you a thousand words. If you can't put it into words show her." Harvey rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to give her a picture of my apartment."

"I meant that there are other ways to communicate if you can't talk to her, Harvey."

.

When Harvey returned to the firm he stopped by Mike's office. "How is the research going?" he spoke without announcing his presence first. "I'm working on it," Mike answered. "That means you don't have shit, I want those files within an hour," he answered as he turned around and walked back to his own office.

It was the second time that day he had to walk up to her cubicle without Donna making any effort in recognizing him. He sighed, she obviously wasn't going to talk or listen to him. He thought about what dr. Agard had told him about different forms of communication and how that should be able to clear up the mess he was in with Donna.

He opened the top drawer of his desk and searched for the spare key to his apartment. He knew she already had one, but this was his picture so to speak. He opened the enveloped and placed both the key and letter he had written her in it.

The only thing left to do was give it to her and that was the most daunting part, but for once this day luck was by his side when he saw her get out of her cubicle and walk towards the restrooms. Harvey quickly got out of his chair and walked over to her desk. He placed the envelope in front of her computer; he felt like a coward and he probably was, but he figured it was the only way to reach out to her today.

Mike came around the corner and saw Harvey lingering around her cubicle; he spotted the envelope. "Aaaw, you're making up." Harvey looked up at Mike who looked a bit too happy for his liking. "Shut up and follow me," he ordered as he walked back to his office. The two man sat down on his couch and went over the files.

.

Donna returned to her desk and noticed the envelope with her name on it. She could recognize the handwriting instantly, she also knew he had had three cups of coffee that day since it was still readable. She picked it up. It felt heavy, but she didn't open it. She couldn't, she didn't want to in front of Harvey.

Donna turned to face his office and spotted the two man still working. She looked at him for a minute, maybe even stared. It was the first time she did that day and she was glad he didn't look back, probably not being able to keep it together if he did. She sighed and stepped forward, entering his office.

"Harvey, do you need me for anything? Otherwise I'm going home," she asked. Mike watched Donna enter and Harvey's head pop up the second she started talking. The young lawyer didn't speak, he just watched them. Something was up, Mike just knew.

"No," Harvey answered as he looked at her. "Okay," Donna whispered softly, turning around again.

"Donna," he whispered making her stop and face him again, "Did you see the…" But he didn't have to finish his sentence as she already nodded she had.

.

"Harvey, are we done yet?" Mike asked, thinking that if he had to go over the files one more time he would go insane. "No, we're missing something," the lawyer answered flipping through the files again. "Harvey, I couldn't find anything else on Devon."

"Then we need to look elsewhere."

"Can we than at least get something to eat? I'm starving," Mike whined. Harvey looked at his watch. It was already seven o'clock. "We'll be done within an hour, then you can eat whatever you want," he answered. "If I don't eat something now I won't be able to think," Mike continued.

"Fine, if you're so hungry, go to Louis' office and steal," but he was interrupted by someone knocking on his office door. He signalled for the man to enter. "I'm sorry to interrupt," the man started, "I've got a delivery for Mr. Specter and Mr. Ross," he continued as he placed the bag on the table.

Harvey thanked the man and Mike's eyes lit up at the sight of the food in front of him and he immediately dived in. "Ooooh, this is so good! Thanks, Harvey," Mike beamed as he closed his eyes, enjoying the food. "Don't thank me, thank Donna," Harvey countered. "How do you know it was her?" Mike managed to ask between to bites. "Because it's her favourite Thai restaurant. Besides, who else?"

.

Donna placed herself on her couch with the envelope in her hands. Hesitantly she opened it, scared of the content. Inside the envelope she found a handwritten letter and a key just like the one she already had. With tears in her eyes she put the letter on her coffee table and walked towards her bedroom pulling her suitcase from under her bed.

.

It was almost midnight when she was standing in front of his door. She had the key and in any other situation she would have let herself in, but not this time. She just stood there for a minute, finding the courage to knock on the door when her eye spotted the sign. _Harvey & Donna_. She thought about the first time she had seen it.

 _The night of the house warming party._

 _They had danced and had taken her back to his place for a drink. They lay side by side on his carpet while they chatted about whatever came to mind. When she woke up the middle of the night she found herself curled up against him, with her head in the crook of his neck and her arm wrapped around his chest._

 _She moved her head slightly trying not to wake Harvey and she cursed herself for how clingy she looked, especially when she realised that Harvey wasn't holding her in his arms. She quickly got up, wanting to leave, but he had woken up._

 _"Where are you going?" he asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Home," she replied putting on her shoes. Harvey looked at his watch. "Donna, it's four in the morning. After all your help, just stay." She looked at him and she wanted to protest, but he interrupted. "Just grab one of my shirts, I'll wait here for you to get changed."_

 _She nodded as she walked towards his bedroom. Donna changed into one of his old Harvard shirts and crawled into his bed. Placing herself on the edge of the right side. Harvey asked if he could enter and when he did he smiled at the sight of red hair peeking out of his blankets. He took of his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt, he could feel Donna's eyes burning on his skin. "Enjoying the view?"_

 _She just laughed at his remark. "So how come I have to wait outside and you can just watch me?" he countered, throwing a look in her direction. "That's how it goes, get used to it."_

.

Harvey was just about to go to bed when he heard someone knocking on his door. He sighed, lately Mike dropped by in the evenings since he had been in a fight with Rachel, but today Harvey wasn't in the mood. "Mike, just go!" But as the knocking continued he stormed towards the door. "Mike, I.." he started as he opened the door, but he found himself face to face with Donna.


	9. Chapter 9 - As friends

**Thanks again for all the reviews! Love reading them. Here's the next part. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – As Friends**

Harvey stared at Donna, he had definitely not expected her to show up. Not with a suitcase anyway or at this hour for that matter. But before he could speak, she entered his apartment not speaking to him either. She just marched to his bedroom, dropped her suitcase and grabbed a spare pillow and blanket.

Harvey turned around not really sure what just happened and where she had gone to, when she returned to his living room. She walked up to him and pushed the pillow and blanket in his arms. "There's a couch this time, you can sleep on it," she snapped at him before she turned around and closed his bedroom door behind her.

.

Harvey woke up the next morning by the smell of a vanilla coffee. He got up from the couch, his shoulders and back aching. He stumbled to the kitchen where he found Donna already dressed and ready for the day. "Good morning, Donna," he mumbled. Donna nodded at him and placed a cup of coffee in front of him, "we have to go see dr. Agard today."

.

Dr. Agard looked at the two people in front of her, sitting in the same position she had seen them before. On either ends of the couch. She observed them for a minute, the both of them looked nervous and Donna was staring at the ceiling yet again. Harvey was tapping the armrest of the couch waiting for dr. Agard to start the session. "You're both here, does that mean Donna has agreed to live with you, Harvey?" she asked.

"Yes, she has."

Paula turned towards Donna, "How did he convince you, Donna?" she asked writing something down in her notebook. "He wrote me a letter," Donna answered as she looked at the therapist. "What did he write?" She thought about the letter Harvey had written her and how it had brought her to tears, but she wasn't about to confess that. "Enough to change my mind."

"So how was your first evening living together?"

Harvey looked at Donna and sighed, Donna just rolled her eyes at the words of the other woman. "Okay, I've got the feeling you are not even trying," Paula said to both of them. Harvey felt a bit betrayed by dr. Agard's statement. He had written the letter, he had tried, he really had, but Donna seemed to be ignoring him. Just like she was doing now, she was staring at her dark red nails.

"Donna, could you give me a reason for that?" dr. Agard tried again as neither of them spoke. "It's weird, alright," she replied, looking down. "Why?" dr. Agard continued. "He's my boss," the redhead sighed, "You're asking me to live with my boss."

Harvey took in her words, _her boss,_ yes he was her boss, but he never considered them to be just that. Not back then and not now and apparently Paula didn't think so either. "Is that all you are, boss and employee?" she inquired. Donna sighed, Harvey didn't dare to answer that question and was glad Paula had directed it to Donna.

"Before you found out about the wedding not being annulled, how would you describe your relationship?" dr. Agard tried again. Donna thought about it, _their relationship._ She didn't really know how to define it, they weren't just colleagues or friends, but she decided to go with the latter. "We're friends," she answered.

"Friends, okay. I'd like both of you to forget about the reason you are here," dr. Agard tried explaining it in another way, "put aside your anger and remember you don't have to look at each other as husband or wife, just try to live together as friends."

"Friends," Harvey mumbled.

Paula sighed, these two were definitely making her work for her money. She had never seen a couple that seemed to be ignoring each other as much as Donna and Harvey were ignoring each other. So she decided to turn that into an assignment for them.

"Yes, friends and friends talk to each other. So your assignment for today is to talk." Harvey and Donna both mumbled yes to the request of dr. Agard. "And I'd like to speak to each of you individually tomorrow," Paula concluded.

.

Once on the streets again Donna started walking away. Just like she had done on Sunday. "Just talk to me, okay?" Harvey asked her, following the assignment of dr. Agard. She turned around, but her expression still hadn't changed. He looked at her, trying his smirk smile. Normally she'd give in if he smiled at her, but she'd never been angry at him for this long. "Let me make you lunch?" he tried.

"You're going to cook, you?!"

"I'll make you pasta," he replied, "I know you loved it." Harvey thought about the other time he had made her pasta. She had just returned from the Bahamas and he was supposed to have a date night with Zoe, but they had fought and she had cancelled after seeing the photo card Donna had send him.

Harvey wanted to hang out with someone, a friend, so he had invited Donna. He taught her how to make pasta from scratch and when he saw her struggling with the pasta machine he had wanted to step behind her and close the distance between them. Wrap his left arm around her waist and carefully put his right hand on hers helping her with the machine.

He had wanted to place kisses in her neck, hell he had wanted to do a hell of a lot more than that, but he knew he couldn't. She had the rule and she had reminded him of it again when he had showed her the tickets to the Bahamas. He had bought the tickets in a whim, as some sort of honeymoon, maybe even hoping something would change between them. But she told him she couldn't and he had given her the tickets. She had taken off with her sister and Harvey had stayed at the firm where he had met Zoe.

Donna thought about it, it was one of the few times he had cooked her dinner and he was right, she had loved it. "Fine," she answered.

.

They went back to his apartment and Harvey entered the kitchen grabbing all the supplies. When he reached for the flour a little bit fell out of the box and onto his hair. Donna looked at the event in front of her and started laughing. Harvey was shocked at first by her reaction, but then realised how he had missed the sound of her laugh.

"You think this is funny?" he said as he turned around and looked at her, she had a sincere smile on her face which he answered with his signature smirk before he turned around again to continue with the cooking. Donna closed her eyes and sighed. She repeated the words of dr. Agard in her head. _Put your anger aside and just talk as friends._

She walked up to him and leaned on the counter next to him. "I'm sorry," she said as she let her head hang down. Harvey looked to his right, "I'm sorry too. I really am," he whispered. "Do you need a hand?" she whispered.

.

Donna placed the two plates of pasta on the breakfast bar and seated herself on the barstool. Harvey poured both of them a glass of wine. They enjoyed their meal, chatting about whatever came to mind. They even smiled at each other every now and then. It felt good, comfortable even and both of them realised how much they had missed this in their relationship. Whatever that may be. Donna couldn't even remember the last time they had Thai together at the firm.

After lunch Harvey placed himself on his couch as Donna took care of the dishes. He spotted some files that had fallen out of her bag. He picked them up and noticed it were the files of the IVF clinic. He knew he wasn't supposed to look, but he was curious. It was after all the reason that made her find out they were still married, so he went through them.

Donna looked at him sitting on the couch, laughing at the pieces of paper in his hands. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Just looking," he replied as he looked up from the paper in his hand to her. "Give them to me," she ordered while she reached for the papers, but he pulled them back.

"No," he replied, "this one sounds like a douche," he continued showing her a file. "Sure," she said as she sat herself down on the arm rest of the chair. He handed her another file. "This one reminds me of Louis." She took the file from him and read it again. "Ooh, you're right. Can't have that," she said as she ribbed the paper in half.

He smiled at her reaction, they were certainly behaving as friends if she joined him in making fun of Louis. "Now this one sounds great," he continued as he waved with the paper. Donna just raised her eyebrows ordering him to continue. "Brown hair, brown eyes, 6 feet tall and .." he said to her.

"Really, Specter?"

"What?" he countered, his signature smirk appearing on his lips. "Brown hair, brown eyes, 6 feet tall… you're describing yourself," Donna replied. "You left out the ridiculously good-looking part," he teased her. "Do you ever think there's more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good-looking?" she countered, quoting Zoolander. "So you think I'm really, really …"

"Ooh, stop it."

"Why?" he asked now sounding very serious as he looked at the papers again. "Why what?" she asked, not sure what he meant with his question. "Why are you doing this?" he asked her again his hand tapping against the files in his hand.

Donna sighed and got up from the chair. "Harvey…," she sighed again. "I'm single," she continued raising her shoulders, "and I'm not getting any younger… and I really want to become a mother," she mumbled, knowing it must have sound strange cause they never talked about those things.

"But this?" he asked her again now also getting up from the couch, "It's so un personal."

"I don't see a line of men waiting for me to choose from," she answered. "But you could have asked … a friend," he said directing his eyes at the ground. "We just agreed that Louis is a no go and I don't think Rachel would appreciate it if I asked Mike."

"You could have," he hesitated, "you could have asked me," he heard himself say, looking at her again.


	10. Chapter 10 - The Contract

**First of all; that opening scene of 5.05!**

 **So, to the guest who asked why Harvey said what he said. I'm just going to share my thought process about it; it's a combination of factors that made him say it. Firstly he is generally curious as to why Donna is doing that; she never told or explained it to him. He just happened to find out about it. He also started this conversation because of his protectiveness of Donna and we all know what family means to him. So his first question about asking a friend started as a more general one; because he has heard of situations like that, but it does have a second layer to it: that he also meant himself, but couldn't say it so used the word friend as dr. Agard suggested; to perhaps protect himself from her answer. But of course Donna being Donna ignores Harvey in this part, because she doesn't want to cross a line afraid of what might follow given the fact she's living with him and they're finally talking again. The second time Harvey asks her is because he's hurt she didn't consider him; above all that happened he considered himself to be a better friend to her than Louis or Mike, they've known each other for twelve years, but on the other hand he does have all these bottled up feelings for her he's struggling with…**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews! Let me know what you think about this chapter :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10 – The Contract**

"You could have … you could have asked me," she heard him say the moment their eyes lock. Her mind went blank and her mouth dropped slightly. The image of his mouth pronouncing those words was on repeat in her head. She could feel her heart beating in her chest; wondering if she really heard those five words that are now putting her mind on overdrive; _ask Harvey, he wanted me to ask him._

Images of them, the other time disturbed her thought process, but as quickly as they came they were replaced by memories of all the times he had hurt her. Images of him and other women. Her mind was fighting an internal debate. _You could have asked me … But this is Harvey we're talking about … Harvey?!_

She swallowed, doing what she always did, making a witty comeback. "Really, Harvey? Like you wouldn't run for the hills if I came to you for this," she replied. She didn't even know why she said it, if she was trying to protect herself from getting into dangerous territories or if she was giving him an out.

Harvey thought about what he had just said to her himself. He didn't really know why he had said it, but he didn't regret saying it. He thought about Donna's answer, he knew she was right or at least used to be. He would have. He would have run for the hills and never looked back. That may have been him ten years ago, but not anymore.

"I would," Harvey started but he choked on his words. He wanted to say that he would do it. For her. If she asked him, but the words just didn't come out of his mouth. Donna took in his words, a lump forming in her throat, although she only heard him say what she already knew. That he would run for the hills.

She let her eyelids fall down and her head along with them, the movement made her auburn locks cover her face and the tears that were forming in her eyes as well. She took a step back and started walking, slightly shaking her head, cursing herself for the slightest spark of hope she allowed herself to have.

Harvey was still looking at her when she took a step back. He could see the disappointed on her face. He wanted to speak. Reach for her hand. He wanted to let her know that this wasn't what he meant, but he froze yet again. When he was finally able to move around and speak, she beat him to it.

"I'll see you at the firm," he heard her say before she closed the front door after her. The sound of the door falling shut made his head pop up. _Shit._ He wanted to call her, but he barely managed to mumble her name. "Donna!" he yelled this time in full volume as his body started moving towards the door. He started walking, running even, trying to follow her.

"Donna, wait," he managed to shout again as he barged through the lobby of his apartment building and onto the street, but he was too late as he spotted her in the cab that just took off. He threw his hands in the air and screamed letting out his anger. Once again getting strange looks from the people around him. But he didn't care about it, he just needed to talk to her.

.

Harvey dragged his feet through the hallway of the office, avoiding the looks from everyone on his path, except for hers. He couldn't avoid hers, she was just standing there behind her desk, files in her hands and smiling at him. As if nothing had happened. Harvey sighed, he couldn't do this, play this game. "Donna," he muttered as he approached her desk.

Donna looked at his face, a serious look written all over it. When she heard him say her name her smile crumbled from her face and she let out a breath. She looked around, everyone at the firm was just moving along but she felt as if time had frozen. She felt stuck in moment and she knew what was coming. He would want to talk about it, but she didn't know if she could bear that. So she swallowed again and walked into his office, making him follow her.

"Donna. I'm sorry. I didn't mean –"

"Harvey, stop. Just forget about it," she cut him off before she could comprehend what he was saying. _Shit. I didn't mean what? To hurt me … or_ "No, I'm sick and tired of you telling me to forget about things," he ordered. "Then don't. But I don't want to talk about it," she replied as she threw the files on his desk.

"Well I do," he continued as he took a step towards her, "isn't that what we were supposed to do? Talk to each other?" he yelled at her. Donna was fighting the tears that were forming in her eyes, "just look at us!" she cried; still looking at the floor as she moved her hand in between them.

"We're communicating," he replied as he grabbed her hand pulling her closer, immediately letting go again; the touch of her skin still had the same effect on him as it did all those years ago. Donna froze under his touch, her eyes instantly meeting his again.

"No. We're fighting!"

"Well it's better than the silent treatment you were giving me yesterday," he countered. "Is it?" she replied shaking her head, but Harvey didn't answer. "I don't want to fight with you, Harvey," she continued. "Then talk to me, how hard can it be," he countered, not realising the irony. He was never the one to talk.

"How hard can it be? Really?"

"Yeah, really," he sighed, lifting his hands in the air. "Don't you see, every time we talk about something like this we end up fighting," she replied a tear rolling down her face, "And I just can't, Harvey. I can't. Not if I have to live with you."

Harvey took a step back and turned around. He couldn't stomach it when he saw her crying, especially when it was because of him. "Then what do you suggest we do?" he asked softly. "I don't know," she answered as she placed herself in the leather chair next to the couch he was sitting in. He poured both of them a drink and handed her a glass. "Thanks," she whispered before she took a sip of her scotch, remaining silent.

.

"I enjoyed making lunch with you today," Harvey confessed breaking the silence after a couple of minutes. Donna looked up at him. "Me too," she answered with a smile causing Harvey to smile as well. "So it is possible," Harvey offered with a soft smile. Donna raised her eyebrows and crooked her head, she wasn't sure she understood what he meant. "For us to act as friends, without fighting," he explained.

Donna nodded, "Maybe we just need some rules, for this living together thing," she signalled between them. "Alright," he replied as he walked back to his desk and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. "Rule number one no fighting," he said out loud as he wrote it down making Donna smile. "Now, what does this include?" he continued looking at her.

Donna walked towards him and leaned on his desk. "No yelling, no name calling."

"Does this include nicknames?" he asked looking up at her, his signature smirk appearing on his lips. "Nicknames?" she questioned, trying not to smile. "I thought about calling you wifey for the rest of the week," he joked. Donna almost jumped up at hearing him call her that.

"Too soon?"

Donna smiled and shook her head, "Ooh, shut up," she laughed his comment away as she leaned against his desk again. "Aaah, no swearing," Harvey countered as he pointed at her before he wrote it down. "No bringing up former fights or discussions," Donna continued.

"What happens if we break the rules? What if we end up fighting after all, what do we do then?" Donna thought about it, "Then we stop, hit pause or call for a time-out," she shrugged her shoulders. "Alright," Harvey mumbled as he continued writing.

"And subjects that resulted in a time-out cannot be brought up until after this week," she added. Harvey wrote the last rules down and turned the piece of paper around to Donna, "Time to sign." Donna looked at the piece of paper. The caption 'the Donna and Harvey contract' making her laugh. "You turned it into a contract?"

"Well you did marry a lawyer," Harvey joked, crooking his head as he smiled at her. Donna closed her eyes, letting out a chuckle as she grabbed the pen from Harvey's hand. "I should have added no jokes," she said as she signed her name.

.

Mike turned around slowly, in shock of what he had just overheard. He had needed Harvey for help with a case, but when he had found the two of them fighting in his office he had waited in front of Donna's cubicle. He had just looked at them, screaming at each other although they were only inches apart. Neither of them aware that the intercom had been on.


	11. Chapter 11 - The postcard

**Haha, yes Mike is definitely shocked about this news of his surrogate mom and ad. Thanks for the reviews and follows! Next part is finally here, that's because this story seems to be coming in little ideas all over the place time wise, or are better for a later chapter. Anyway, enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 – The postcard**

 _Not if I have to live with you… Well you did marry a lawyer._

The words he had overhead were on overdrive in his head. He had completely forgotten what he was supposed to do and all he could focus on was the conversation annex fight his two friends just had. He trudged back through the hallway of the fiftieth floor, not paying attention to what was happening around him. He only realised his feet had dragged him into Rachel's office when she looked up to him and questioned him what was going on.

"I…, they –" he mumbled, still not sure on what it all meant.

"Mike, honey," Rachel started as she got out of her chair and walked towards the other side of her desk. "You're not really making sense," she tried. "Maybe you should sit down," she continued as gestured towards the chair and helped him sit down, before she leaned on her desk, "and slowly explain what has happened."

Mike looked up to his fiancée. His face still had question marks written all over it. "They … no, I … uh… I just heard something and I have no idea what it means," he mumbled. "What did you hear? And who are you talking about?" Rachel asked although she had a pretty good idea about whom Mike was talking and surely this couldn't be about his secret. Not again.

"Harvey and Donna. I was outside his office and the intercom was on," Mike started as he tried to put the information in chronological order before he would continue with his story. "Okay, so Harvey and Donna were talking about?" Rachel asked, curious as to where this was going. Normally she wasn't really the one to gossip or the one receiving the information, especially from Mike, but this contained her best friend and her boss and truth to be told, she had always been curious about their exact relationship.

"No, they were fighting about a marriage."

Rachel raised her eyebrows, "the two of them always talk or fight like a married couple," a small laugh escaping her lips as she thought about the two in question. "I know, I know," Mike answered as he nodded his head, "but this was different. It actually sounded as if they were fighting about their marriage."

"Their marriage?!" Rachel repeated, she had never heard of something like this before, "Mike, I know they slept together once, but I've known Donna for years. Don't you think she would have told me if they were actually married?" Mike thought about what Rachel had just told him and he knew she was right; Donna and Rachel had been best friends for over five years, but- "Wait, they crossed the line?" he mumbled as he repeated the first part of Rachel's answer in his head.

Rachel nodded, "but that was years ago, and why would they have kept their marriage a secret?" she asked. Mike's story wasn't making sense or she at least hoped so. _Donna would have told her, wouldn't she._ "Office politics," Mike guessed as he raised his shoulders, "I don't know, but both of them kept my secret from you, so it might be possible."

Rachel sighed and thought about the fight she had had with Donna over that. "I guess it is, but if you want to know for sure you should ask Harvey about it," she suggested. "Really. Ask Harvey," Mike fired back, "like he'd be willing to talk. He'll send me out of his office in less than a second. Why don't you ask Donna."

Rachel let her mouth drop, _did he really just say she should ask Donna?_ "Because it was you who came with this crazy idea in the first place," she countered, "and I'm not going to put my friendship with Donna on the line for this. What made you think they were fighting about their supposed marriage anyways?"

Mike got out of his chair, "because Harvey said and I quote," he started putting up his best Harvey impression, "you did marry a lawyer." Rachel's face went white for a second and she swallowed. What if they were actually married. What if her friend had kept this information from her all this time… even after everything that happened with Mike. Why would Donna confess to sleeping with Harvey ten years ago if they were actually married now?

This whole story didn't make sense, but Rachel had an idea. "Okay, I know what you are going to do," she said firmly. Mike raised his eyebrows and crooked his had wondering what his fiancée could mean, they had already made clear that neither of them could go and ask their friends about this.

"You're going to do what you do best," Rachel started, "You're going to investigate this. Do the research, find the evidence and then we'll confront them about it." Mike nodded and gave Rachel a quick peck on the lips. "Find evidence," he repeated the words when he remembered it.

The postcard he had found after Harvey had made him pack his desk when he had to switch with Paul Porter's office. It had been in the bottom drawer on top of some file folder. The card was a photo of Donna on a beach, but he hadn't had the chance to read the note on the card or look at the folder it had been attached to, as Jessica had entered Harvey's office to inquire about his mentors whereabouts.

"The postcard," Mike thought out loud as he walked back through the hallways of the fiftieth floor.

.

Harvey woke up and stretched his back, aching from sleeping on the black leather couch again. With his left side he leaned on the back rest of the chouch as he rubbed his eyes. Harvey had to blink twice at the sight of two very long and slim, but naked legs coming out of a towel in the corner of his eye as she walked from the bathroom to his bedroom.

His gaze lingered just a second too long on the shadow just above her knees. His mind immediately replaying the other time. How he had traced patterns between the freckles, how his lips had followed his fingers, the mole on her hip just above her panty line. The memories causing blood to rush down, "Ooh, shit!" he exclaimed as he let his head fall down.

"Everything alright?" he heard her voice coming from his bedroom. He let out a breath as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. He sighed again, staring at the New York skyline outside. "Yeah, there's nothing. Nothing," he sighed as he tried to block the inappropriate thoughts playing through his mind.

"Are you sure? You look a little –"

He nearly cringed as he felt her breath in his neck, he moved aside and saw her hovering above the couch. "Weird dream," he improvised as he looked at her walking towards the arm rest of the couch. "Okay, uhm … do you mind?" she continued as she leaned on it. "The zipper seems to be stuck."

His eyes followed her hand, fixing on the point where both sides of the zipper started. He moved towards her, he could feel his heart starting to beat faster and the memories were on reply yet again. Donna could sense him getting closer, his breath warming her neck. She nearly froze as his fingers dawdled just a second too long on her back as he moved her hair over her shoulder. His eyes lingered on the spot of her back that had just been covered by her auburn locks. _No bra._

He swallowed as his right hand followed the edge of the fabric towards the beginning of the zipper. He gently pulled the zipper up, his body along with it, until he had closed the zipper and his chin was now hovering above her shoulder. Donna tried to control her breathing, something she experienced to be very troubling at the moment. She tried to look over her left shoulder without moving her head, as she felt his hands moving her hair back; she swore she could see him almost biting on his lip before he whispered 'perfect' just loud enough for her to hear.

Donna quickly got up from the couch and let out a breath. "Thanks," she whispered as she tried to control her breathing. "I'm off to see dr. Agard, I'll see you at the firm," she continued as she quickly put on her heels and left the apartment. The moment he heard the door fell shut Harvey let out a sigh and let himself fall back on the couch.

 _Shit._

.

Mike walked over to Harvey's office and to his surprise he found it empty this morning. Harvey wasn't in yet and Mike released the same was true for Donna when he looked back over his shoulder to the cubicle of the redhead. Mike considered this to be a sign and entered his mentors office anyway, walking straight over to Harvey's desk.

The best place to start looking was of course where he had found it last time, so without hesitation he opened the bottom drawer. He went through the entire stack of paper and right at the bottom; there it was. The card, but this time without the folder. Mike turned the card around and read the message on the other side. It was clearly Donna's handwriting and all it said was: **_'You booked the honeymoon suite, really?'_**


	12. Chapter 12 - Back To The Start

**Thanks for the follows/ favs. Here's a therapy session with Donna. These sessions are hard to write, or at least for me. It's like my brain and fingers are the two different persons in the session, cause I often end up with different outcomes than I thought I would get, but hey. I do believe Donna would give dr. Agard a hard time during these sessions, let me know what you think :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 – Back To The Start**

"Good morning, Donna," dr. Agard said as she seated herself and watched how the redhead placed herself on the couch. This time more in the middle instead of glued to the right armrest. Paula smiled and made a note of that in her moleskin. Donna just nodded as she made herself comfortable, just because Harvey wasn't there at the moment didn't mean she would make it easy for dr. Agard. _Living together._ She surely had to be the weirdest therapist there was and maybe Harvey could use a good talk about his feelings, but not her. Not Donna.

"I'd like to go back to something we were talking about yesterday," dr. Agard started as she went through her notes, "when you described your relationship with Harvey." Donna rolled her eyes before she straightened her back. "Like I said yesterday, Harvey and I are friends," Donna answered, wondering where this conversation was going. She didn't feel like being here and if she was about to have the same damn discussion as the day before, she might as well leave.

"I know," Paula replied, "but I also noticed you struggled coming to that definition. So I'd like to ask you again. How would you describe your relationship with Harvey?" Donna sighed. _Here we go again._ "Harvey … Harvey and I …–"

"Donna, if it's difficult for you to answer that question, I'd like you to think of a song that you feel describes your relationship or a song that reminds you of your relationship with Harvey," Paula continued, trying a different route.

Donna raised her eyebrows, that last statement confirmed her thoughts. _Dr. Agard was someone with the weirdest questions and assignments._ But two can play that came, so Donna played along. "A song?" she asked. "You don't have to come up with a song right now, but I'd like you to think about it and I'll do the same. Than we can discuss each other's perspective."

Donna shook her head, _whatever._ "And no it's not difficult for me to describe. Harvey is my boss. I've been working for him at this firm for twelve years," she started. "And the two of you are friends," dr. Agard added. "Exactly, Harvey and I are friends."

"So over the course of twelve years the two of you have become friends. Can you pin point the moment your relationship changed from work colleagues to friends," dr. Agard continued as she wrote something down again. Donna adjusted herself on the couch. "I think you could say we have been friends since the moment we met," she answered as she thought about that night in the bar and how well they had gotten along from the start, "but the way Harvey and I communicate or act to one another as friends has changed overtime."

"Okay, could you explain the difference in your behaviour to one another. Now compared to when you just started working for Harvey," Paula asked. "We used to hang out quite a bit, both in and out the office or work related events. Go to dinner or watch movies together. We made fun of each other, threw witty remarks at one another," Donna recalled, "Now it's different, Harvey and I don't really do stuff together outside of work. I help him with everything he needs. I manage his life and he respects me for that. He's the person I trust the most, I believe that is mutual."

"Thus your relationship has always been purely platonic?" dr. Agard questioned. Donna swallowed and was slightly lost for words. _Okay, maybe dr. Agard did know what she was doing._ "I .. uh …" she struggled as she could practically feel his fingers on her shoulders again just like an hour ago and her thoughts derailed towards the other time.

"Uh … 'the scientist'," Donna answered to avoid the current question. Paula smiled, Donna had just shown her tell. The distant stare and a sudden change of the subject. "The scientist?" she played along, "what do you mean with that."

"The uh…song," Donna answered, she had no idea why she had chosen this Coldplay song. It had just popped up in her mind when she needed an answer to distract dr. Agard from the can of worms she was about to open. "Al right, let's listen to it," the therapist continued as she pulled out her phone and searched for the song.

 _Nobody said it was easy._

 _No one ever said it would be this hard._

 _Oh, take me back to the start._

 _…_

 _Tell me you love me_

 _Come back and haunt me_

 _Oh and I rush to the start._

Paula looked at the woman on the couch opposite of her, she was humming along with the song and seemed to be caught in a memory from a long time ago. "Donna," dr. Agard started as she waited for her patient to wake up from her thoughts, "I'd like you to take me back to the start of your relationship with Harvey. Was it purely platonic, let's say nine to twelve years ago?"

 _Twelve years ago. The other time._ Donna let her head fall down and she stared at the carpet for a moment, before she answered. "No," she mumbled as she looked at dr. Agard again. Paula leaned forward and asked her to continue.

"I uh," she fidgeted with her fingers, "I met him at a bar. I already knew who he was and I uh .. I was there to ask if I could work for him, but he interpreted the initial conversation differently assuming I wanted sex. I told him I didn't. We started working together and I got to know him. The uh … the witty remarks were often flirtatious," Donna continued and sighed, she had no idea why she was telling all this, but it was like she couldn't stop anymore, she had never told anyone the full story. Not even to Rachel.

"Harvey tried. Often," Donna revealed, a smile appearing on her face she didn't notice herself, "and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't affect me. But I never gave in while we were working together," she concluded. "Why didn't you, Donna? It sounds like you had certain feelings for him," Paula continued. "I had," Donna thought out loud, "but I have this rule of not getting involved with the men I work with and that's what I told him."

"You said you never gave in while the two of you were working together," Paula repeated her words. "I have the feeling something did happen?" Donna eyes widened and her mouth dropped a little, unable to answer the question. "I'll take that as a yes," dr. Agard assumed.

"Once," Donna confessed, "we had both left the D.A.'s office and it happened."

"What happened next, what changed?" dr. Agard continued taking notes. "The next day we met and Harvey told me he didn't want to lose me and asked me to follow him to Pearson Hardman. I did and we agreed to put it out of our minds and never mention it again. And that was that."

"So you reinforced your rule. Why did you do that?"

"Yes, I did," Donna sighed as the therapist kept asking for things she already explained. "Again, because I don't mix work with pleasure. And Harvey said he would have never shown up at my apartment if he knew he was going to ask me to follow him."

"I understand why you did what you did, but was it what you wanted?" Paula countered then, leaning forward as she waited for the redhead to answer. "I would have wanted a relationship, or at least try," she whispered swallowing. "And instead you went to work for him again," dr. Agard concluded, making Donna nod.

.

"Okay, so why do you do all these things for him?"

"That's my job. He needs me to do those things," Donna fired back feeling slightly uncomfortable again, she had already confessed more than she had planned or wanted to tell. "Does he?" Paula questioned Donna's answer. "Yes, last time I got fired and he got a temp, he was a mess," she answered as she recalled Cameron who had changed her entire filing system.

"Tell me more about this, you just said you left the D.A.'s office, now you say you got fired."

"This was last year," Donna answered. "You were fired, yet you are working for him again?" Paula raised her eyebrows, noticing a pattern in his behaviour. "That's right, Harvey asked me to come back," Donna nodded. "And you did," Paula stated, scribbling the same thing down in her moleskin.

"Yes, I did. Isn't that obvious," Donna shot back, they were back at simply stating the obvious and repeating what the other had said before. "What did he say or do to make you come back?" the therapist asked. "He told me he needed me," Donna recalled the conversation they had on the street little over a year ago, "that he couldn't be him without me."

"Okay," Paula nodded as she wrote this down in her notebook, "but I think it's not solely Harvey who needs you. I think that you need him just as much. You make yourself indispensable, because you need Harvey to need you."

"What? No," Donna objected, she prided herself on being independent. "No? Remember that song you just mentioned. The scientist. About how you'd like to go back to the start," Paula countered, "Let's see you worked together, you liked him and I assume he liked you. Maybe you even loved each other, but you had the rule that kept both of you from giving in. But at the moment you don't work together anymore, something happened," Paula summarized.

"Now you got fired again, so your rule didn't apply anymore, yet nothing happened. You could have walked away, stepped out, if that was what you really wanted. But you couldn't. You came back because you needed to be with him. It might not have been the way you hoped, but it was better than nothing."

"What are you talking about," Donna answered, she felt like she was on the hot seat in the in house trial again with Louis firing all those questions at her. "I'm saying that you say you want to go back to the start, to the phase you were both friends, getting to know each other. The witty banter, the flirtation. But I don't think it is that point in your relationship you want to return to. This has something to do with the moment after the two of you slept with each other, cause that's the moment where your relationship could have changed, except it didn't. Not in the way you wanted. He couldn't give you what you needed, so you made sure he would need you. In every other way than the one you really want."

"Okay, this is bullshit," Donna said as she was about to get up. "No it's not and you know it," Paula countered, "why did you marry Harvey?"

"Because he needed my help to get his apartment," Donna shot back. "Donna I'm not asking about why Harvey asked you, I'm asking about why you agreed. What was your reason for agreeing to this?" she pushed Donna.

"I got a chance to help a friend and I did."

"Because he was your friend and nothing more," Paula pushed once more, but Donna didn't answer. "I know I said it before, but that's a hell of a lot to do for someone who's just a friend. And I think there's more to why you did that, I think you did it because this was the way to get what you had wanted all along, because you were still in love with him."

"Well, maybe I was!" Donna blurted out.


	13. Chapter 13 - The Rule

**Thanks for the reviews and follows! I kind of struggled with the song dr. Agard should pick, so if you have a better suggestion let me know. I bet I'm not the only one with a Suits/ Darvey playlist while writing. So here's the next part, let me know what you think. Chapter 14 will definitely be more Darvey, I promise :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 13 – The Rule**

"Was?" dr. Agard emphasized the past tense in Donna's last statement. "What are you insinuating? That I'm in love with Harvey?" she asked. "I'm not insinuating anything," dr. Agard continued, "but I've not heard you talk about other men in your life. All you ever did was for him. And when you had the chance to walk away, only a year ago, you came back. Again. And I think it's for the same reason you married him in the first place."

"That's not the case, I happen to love my job."

"Love your job or love Harvey?" dr. Agard pushed again. Donna didn't answer, but gave her a death stare instead. "Okay, then I'd like you to describe your feelings towards Harvey. How do you feel about him now?" Paula asked. "I don't know," Donna answered and it was a partial truth, she loved him, but with everything that was going on she couldn't really tell to what extend that was anymore.

Donna heard the familiar sound of the black Lexus pulling up on the street and she turned around to face the window. Dr. Agard followed Donna's gaze and saw Harvey getting out of the car, she looked at her watch. Their session was almost over, "I think you do, Donna. You're just not ready to except it. Whatever that feeling may be."

Donna nodded and got up from the couch. Dr. Agard followed her motion. "Donna, I'd like you to have this," she said as she handed her a box of cards, "and if you get a chance listen to 'love fools'."

 _Love me, love me_

 _Say that you love me_

 _Leave me, Leave me_

 _Just say that you need me_

 _I can't care 'bout anything but you …_

Donna was still stunned when she opened the door and faced Harvey on the other side. She felt the need to hug him, to have him comfort her. Protect her from that therapist, but her brain was in conflict with her feelings, so all she did was meet his eye.

Harvey saw Donna in the opening of the door, he could sense something was going on. She wasn't really herself, he didn't know if that was because of what happened that morning between them or because of something dr. Agard had said.

Either way he hated that look on her face and wanted to do everything he could to take it away, but all his body managed to produce was his signature smile as if he was saying everything was all right. The fact that she smiled back made Harvey feel more at ease. They turned around each other slowly, switching places. Harvey closed the door behind him and the last thing he saw was Donna who looked back at him before she stepped in the car.

Harvey swallowed and turned around to face dr. Agard. "What did you do to her?" was the first thing he said. "What do you mean, Harvey?" Paula asked as she signalled to the couch, ordering him to sit down. She made the same observation as she had done just an hour ago. Harvey also took place in the middle of the couch. "Normally she isn't that quiet and we were finally talking again so you better have not ruined that."

"You sound protective of her, why is that?" dr. Agard asked. Harvey sighed, _this therapist could read something in anything he said and it annoyed him having to deal with yet another person that could do that._ "I don't know, I just feel the need to protect her. I hate to see her get hurt."

"So you care about her?" Paula asked, she already knew that was the case but she wanted to hear him to say it. Harvey repeated the words in his head as he adjusted himself on the couch. _Care about her, he freaking loved the woman._ But he wasn't about to confess that. "Yes, she's one of the people I care about most."

"Okay, tell me about these people," Paula signalled him to continue. "Well, there was my father, Gordon. And then there's Marcus, my younger brother," he summed up. Paula smiled and wrote down that he deliberately left out Donna at this point and there had to be a reason for that. "Anyone else besides your direct family?" she continued.

"Mike, he's my associate and then there's Jessica," he paused, "She's my mentor, she's the one that paid for me to go to law school and gave me a job," he spoke. "And then there's Donna," dr. Agard added. A smile appeared on Harvey's face, "yes. Without her I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't be the man I am today."

"She must be very special," Paula baited. "She is."

Paula smiled and leaned forward. _Maybe she would be able to get a better idea of the situation if she asked Harvey about it._ "Then tell me why the two of you aren't in a romantic relationship." Harvey frowned, "what?" This woman was direct and normally he'd appreciate such a trait in a person, but not when it involved his personal life or anything with Donna for that matter.

"The way you described Donna is different from the way you described the other people you care about. And I think there's a reason for that. So I want you to tell me why the two of you aren't together." That was something he wondered about most days lately _._ Harvey shook his head and leaned in the couch. He didn't answer the question.

"Is it because she has that rule?" she asked. "If you already know about the rule, then why are you asking me," Harvey countered. "Okay so what if Donna did not have the rule, would the two of you be together?" Paula tried, realising this was a sensitive subject.

"I don't know," Harvey answered and it was the truth, he didn't know. There was a difference between what he wanted and how it was. Fiction vs. facts. Dr. Agard sighed, Harvey proved to be just as difficult as Donna when it came to discussing how were they stood with one another. "Let me rephrase that, would you have wanted that?" But Harvey didn't answer.

"Okay, if that how you're going to play it. Have the two of you ever broken the rule?" she asked. Harvey thought about the other time, but they hadn't been working at the time, so technically they hadn't. "No," he answered, leaving the kiss at their wedding out of it.

"You hesitated, why was that?"

Harvey sighed, "Obviously Donna has already told you, otherwise you wouldn't be pushing this subject. So yes, we slept together once. But we didn't work together at the time," he swallowed, looking away. "What happened after that day?"

"You already know what happened next," Harvey answered, _off all the people she could have told, she told dr. Agard._ "Donna reinforced her rule," dr. Agard read from her notes. "She did," Harvey confirmed. "So at that moment, had she not reinforced her rule, do you think the two of you would have gotten together?"

"Like I said, I don't know," he answered as he raised his shoulders. "Okay, then I'll direct it more towards you. At that time, would you have wanted a relationship with her?" Paula's words making him close his eyes, bringing him back to that moment twelve years ago.

"I suppose," Harvey answered.

"That's an evasive answer, Harvey," Paula countered, "besides her rule what was holding you back?" Harvey let out a breath and stared to the floor before he answered, "I don't want to disappoint or hurt her." Paula frowned, studying his face, "Why do you think you'll do that?"

Harvey thought about his parents, but he didn't answer. "I think that has something to do with your mother," dr. Agard countered. "What," Harvey shot back, "we're talking about Donna and now you're saying it's about my mother?"

"Yes, I do. Cause when I asked you to tell about the people you cared about, you mentioned everyone in your family except your mother. I'm not turning the direction of this conversation just to bring up your mother, I think that's the basis of your problem."

"You have no idea what bringing up my mother is to me!"

"No, I don't. But that's why you're here. To talk about it," dr. Agard said. "That's not why I'm here, so do not bring up my mother," Harvey ordered as he was about to get up. "Harvey sit down," Paula ordered, "were not done here yet."

"Well I am," he fired back as he walked towards the door. "Fine, if that's what you want. Go. You're wasting both of our time," dr. Agard shot back as she turned in her seat towards him. "But do remember everything we do here is to help Donna. To get her out of the mess you created and half an hour ago you were willing to do anything to help her."

The moment he heard dr. Agard mention her name he stopped walking, she was right. They were only here because he screwed up. Harvey turned around again, if he walked away it would not be fair towards Donna.

Dr. Agard looked at her patient and realised that Harvey was the one with the most unresolved issues, not Donna. "Tell me about other relationships you've had."

Harvey sighed, "Scottie. I met her at Harvard, we used to hook up every once in a while. Got together when she moved to New York in January; things ended half a year ago," he explained. "Why did it end?" Paula asked writing this down.

"We fought a lot, mainly because I was too focussed on the firm and there was this thing I couldn't tell her about." Paula looked up to him again, "So you couldn't really trust her?" Harvey looked down, "No, there were already too many people that knew. Jessica, Rachel, Donna. I had to protect my associate."

"Okay, anyone else you've had a relationship with?"

"I didn't really have a relationship with her, but there was Zoe. I met her at the firm nine years ago. About a month after Donna married me for the apartment, but nothing happened. Then last year, when Donna got fired. I needed an jury consultant, so I contacted her. When the whole thing was over we were supposed to go to dinner, but she was babysitting her niece. Turned out her brother was dying and she moved back to her parents and took care of her niece."

"So you let her go?"

"I did," Harvey answered. "Harvey you let her go. Don't you think she would have wanted you to fight for her? Cause it sounds like you fight like hell for everything that happens at the firm and nothing that happens in here," dr. Agard questioned as she pointed her hands at her heart. And that's when it happened, all Harvey could see or hear was Donna, as it where the same words and gestured he had heard and seen before.

"Is this about you?" he exclaimed, "You wanted me to fight for you? Then why the hell did you reinforce your rule, Donna?"

.

Donna tapped her shoe against the floor as she stared at the metal letters on the wall, waiting for the elevator to arrive. "Okay, here are the copies of the Solelectrics merger Rachel has been working on," Donna said to him, the second he got out of the elevator. Harvey took the files from her and gave her a quick smile before his face returned to thunder again.

"And I've rescheduled the meeting from this morning to tomorrow at three," Donna continued as she walked along side Harvey, "which means I pushed the meeting with Alexander by an hour, but I also send him some tickets to apologize for that." She followed him to his office giving him the rest of the updates.

Harvey spotted his associate when he had reached Donna's cubicle. "What are you doing?" he snapped at Mike even before he had really entered his office. Out of panic Mike placed the postcard in the inner pocket of his jacket and turned around to face his boss. "Waiting for you actually," Mike said as calmly as possible. He now also noticed that Donna was back at her desk as well. _How long had she been there, had she seen him going through Harvey's files? No. Probably not, she would have stopped him as she had seen it._ Mike let out a breath, "so where were you all morning?"

"I had a meeting," Harvey answered and he looked over his shoulder to Donna. Donna had already overheard the questioning from Mike and knew what to do. She gave him a wink as if to say she took care of it. "No you didn't, the meeting with James Holding has been postponed to tomorrow," Mike answered and at that moment he saw a pop up appear on Harvey's screen. He quickly looked at it, 09.00-11:00:: Meeting with P. Agard. _Is P. Agard a client? Why don't I know about this or is Rachel working on that case? Must ask her._

"That's because I had another last minute meeting," Harvey improvised, "now get out of my office and finish those files I've been waiting for." Mike raised his hand, "Actually that's why I was –" "Now. Go," Harvey ordered as he pointed at the door.

Donna entered Harvey's office the moment Mike was out of sight. "Okay, I didn't want to say anything back at the elevator, but you just snapped at the pup for no reason and you look like shit. What the hell did she do to you?" she asked giving him her usual 'don't bullshit me' face.

"Nothing," Harvey lied as he tried to ignore the look on her face. He already knew she wouldn't leave it at that. "No, this isn't nothing. What did she say or make you talk about?" Donna continued, "cause if she went all in with me," she added as she recalled the session from that morning, "I can only assume that it was even worse for you."

"It wasn't her, well it was, but –"

"You're not making any sense, you know that," she asked with a slight smile on her face. She had to admit, she liked the fact that dr. Agard could get him so puzzled. Normally she was the only one to do that. "Okay, I know it was her and I don't know how or why," Harvey started to explain as he seated himself on his couch, "but it felt… All I could see or hear was you talking to me and I snapped, alright."

Donna followed him to the couch; her curiosity had been awakened. "So … what did I say?" she whispered. "Donna, I can't tell you," he answered as he looked at her. "Why?" she asked, and it was a sincere question, she had always felt that he could tell her everything and vice versa. Except for maybe how she really felt.

"Because I'll guarantee you we'll end up fighting about it and we promised not to fight," he replied. "Okay, but if you don't tell me what it was how am I supposed to know which subject I can't bring up?" she tricked him; she had to know what this was about.

"Fine, it was about …," he hesitated. "Your rule," he mumbled eventually. "The rule," Donna repeated, she could feel her throat getting dry and her cheeks turning red. Harvey sighed, he might as well tell her the exact thing that had made him snap, he had told this much.

"Why did you reinforce your rule?"


	14. Chapter 14 - The Cactus

**Thanks again for all the follows & reviews; I just love reading your opinions. We'll get to see Donna and Harvey out of the office a bit more from now on; hope you'll like it and enjoy reading :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 14 – The Cactus**

"Okay," she answered. She couldn't say more. She knew why she did it at the time, but it had been her biggest 'what if' ever since and right now she didn't know how to answer. "Okay?" Harvey snapped, "that's your answer."

"Yes, for now it is. You paused this subject," she reminded him as she got up from the couch to emphasize the fact that they weren't going to talk about this now. "No, I didn't," he objected. "Harvey, you and I both signed that contract," Donna answered as she started walking. She stopped by his door and turned around to meet his eye before she stepped out of the office. "By the way, Jessica wants to see you."

.

Mike walked towards Rachel in the library. "Hey, are you working on the Agard case?" he asked. Rachel put the book back on the shelf and turned to him, "the what?" she mumbled. "The Agard case, are you working on it?" Mike repeated. "Harvey had a meeting this morning," he added for clarification.

Rachel looked confused. "No, I'm not. But I also haven't heard of that particular case," she answered. "You haven't," Mike repeated as he frowned. "Okay, that's weird, cause I saw it in his calendar."

"Mike, I'm serious. I don't know anything about this," she answered as she took a step closer. "Have you found any evidence yet?" she whispered this time. "Ooh, that's right," he replied as he reached for the postcard in his jacket and handed it to her. Rachel looked at the picture of Donna in a bikini on the beach and read the message on the other side. "Oh my god," was all she managed to say.

.

Harvey walked back from his meeting with Jessica. If he hadn't been irritated before, he sure as hell was now. She had made him sign off papers the entire afternoon and because Louis had been out he also had to do his fellow name partners part.

Donna looked up towards the hallway, she just knew Harvey was walking back to his office at this exact moment. She could sense it and she had grown accustomed with the sound of his shoes on the floor. As he got closer she took in his face, he still looked irritated. _Not good._ "How was your meeting with Jessica," she chirped, normally meetings this long with Jessica meant either the rooftop or lunch in her office. She couldn't have been more wrong.

Harvey leaned on the edge of her desk. He sighed before he spoke. "Spend the entire afternoon signing papers. Had to do Louis part as well," he complained. "Ooh you poor thing," Donna teased him, making Harvey give her a fake smile. "Any messages while I was out?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "Harvey," she continued, "you look exhausted. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Donna," he replied, "just didn't sleep that well," he sighed. "Maybe you should go home, get some rest," she whispered looking concerned now. "Donna it's only six," he replied with a face as if she had just insulted him in the worst possible way. Donna shook her head and laughed. "I know. And normal people would have left by now. How about you go home already and I'll get some groceries and cook you dinner," she offered.

.

Harvey woke up from his power nap by the sound of the doorbell. _Why can't she just use the key I know she has,_ he thought as he dragged his feet towards the door to open it. He stared at the green thing Donna was holding in her arms. "I thought you were getting groceries, not that," he asked pointing at it.

"It's a cactus, Harvey," Donna replied as she entered the apartment and walked over to the kitchen. Harvey followed her. "Yeah, I can see that. I'm just wondering why you have it," he countered. "Because, if I'm going to have to live here, this place needs some life. A plant."

"But a cactus?" he asked as he raised his eyebrow. "I thought I'd get something that you're less likely to kill after I leave again," she countered as she looked around the apartment. "Have you ever thought about redecorating the place?" she asked. Harvey looked around as well, "no why?"

"Well it has been nine years since you decorated this place. Don't you think it's time to change something? It's so calm, cool and almost clinical," she spoke taking in the surroundings before she faced him again. "You do realize you picked every single thing in here," Harvey countered, his smirk curling up on his lips as he knew she had just mocked her own choices.

Donna swallowed and looked around again. He was wright, still after nine years the place was exactly as she had picked it out. "Maybe we can… or I can help you pick out some new pieces?" she asked as she faced him again. "No, we can't," he answered firmly.

Donna was taken aback by the 'we can't'. "Why not?" she asked. "Because rule no. 1 was no fighting and there's no way we'll be able to redecorate this place without fighting," he replied. "We didn't fight about it nine years ago."

"Really, how about those chairs over there," he said as he pointed at his dining room table. "But they're so comfortable and I just needed a day to convince you to take them," Donna answered with a smile. "I absolutely hated those chairs," he continued. "But you bought them anyway?"

"I did," he answered, _because you liked them._ "Ooh," Donna mumbled. "So, if you desperately want to change something in here, start with those chairs. Now let's make dinner," he answered as he felt his phone vibrating. Harvey took it out of his pocket and looked at the message. It was a calendar update, Thursday 9.00-11.00:: shopping for new chairs.

Harvey laughed and looked at Donna. "Really? How did you do that?" he wondered, but Donna just imitated his smirk smile, something she had mastered in all these years she had known him. "No, seriously. You weren't even holding your phone," he continued. "I'm Donna," she laughed as she gave him a wink and turned around to cook.

.

Harvey was making his bed on the couch again when Donna appeared in the door opening of his bedroom. He took in her figure and smiled at the sight of the redhead in one of his boxers and his old Harvard t-shirt. "Aren't those mine?" he questioned.

"Not anymore," Donna answered. _She had had the shirt since the first time she had slept in this apartment, nine years ago._ Harvey smiled at her words, continuing with his pillow. Donna looked at him for just a second and took a big breath. "You don't have to sleep on the couch," she said to him.

Harvey looked up and met her eye. "Are you sure?" he asked. Donna nodded and walked back into the bedroom followed by Harvey. "Woah, are you building a fort in there?" he asked when he spotted all the pillows in the middle of the bed and Donna on the right side of them.

Donna laughed. "Just making sure you stay on your side of this mountain," she answered as Harvey got in the bed on the other side. But it was more to protect herself from doing the exact thing she was accusing Harvey of, she thought as she recalled how she had curled up against him the last time.

Harvey smiled. "You do realise Gordon took Marcus and me mounting climbing every summer?" he teased. "I know for fact that isn't true," she answered. "You're sure?" he countered. "I'm sure," she replied, "besides mounting climbing is something you do during the day."

"Well, I'm so skilled I could do it in my sleep."

"I bet you could," she laughed and although she couldn't see him she knew he was turned with his face towards her. She could hear him breathing, as if he was finding the courage to say something. She turned around as well. If the pillows wouldn't separate them they would have stared in one another's eyes.

"The cactus," Harvey started, "was that something from those cards?" he asked. Donna frowned, not sure what he meant. "I know dr. Agard gave them to you as well, I saw them in your hands when you left," he added. "Ooh, yeah something like that," Donna answered.

"What do you mean?" he whispered. "She didn't actually give me a card that told me to buy you a cactus," Donna continued, "it was about adding something to your house." He turned on his back. "Hmm," he mumbled, staring at the ceiling. "She brought up my mother," he said after a while. "She did? The bitch," Donna commented even though she knew it was a smart move from dr. Agard.

They lay there for a couple of more minutes on either side of the mountain. Just chatting about whatever came to mind, both of them where taking small steps. Taking pieces of that mountain away, so to speak. Each in their own way. The road ahead was long, but the hurdle they had to take (or mountain in their case) became smaller.

"Good night, Harvey."

"Good night, wifey," he replied jokingly.

.

The next morning Donna guided Harvey through the furniture shop. "How about this one?" she asked as she pointed towards a black leather chair. "Looks alright," he answered and it was the truth the chair wasn't half as bad as the ones he had at home.

"Don't just stand there," Donna continued as she seated herself in one of the chairs. Harvey looked at the redhead in front of him, his eyes lingered to her long legs that she had crossed. He didn't care what the chair looked like, she looked perfect. "Harvey?" she asked as she noticed he was somewhere else with his head. "Huh," he mumbled as he quickly looked at the table behind her, "what were you saying?"

"That you should try these chairs yourself as well," she repeated, "otherwise we'll have the same discussion in another nine years." He looked at her for a seconds, "Will we?" he asked. "Not if you sit your ass down," Donna commanded. "Bossy," he answered, but he obeyed anyway as he pulled another chair from the dining table and seated himself next to her. "Nah, this one is too soft," he concluded as he wiggled around a bit.

They continued walking through the store trying different chairs, when Harvey spotted the bedroom department in the corner of his eye. "I need a new bed," he said firmly his smirk smile on his face.

Donna turned around and looked at him. "I don't think you'll need my opinion for that," she answered, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Well you're currently sleeping in mine, so …," he teased.

Donna swallowed and tried to hide her blush. "Let's just focus on this task today, shall we," she replied as she continued walking to the next stall. Harvey waited a couple of seconds, glancing at the bedroom section one more time. _Testing beds would be so much more interesting,_ he thought. When he turned his head again he took the opportunity to take in her full form before he increased his step until he walked besides her again.

They tried a couple of more chairs before she pointed at one that had already gotten his eye. Donna pulled the chair back and signalled Harvey to sit down. "Ooh yeah, this is it," Harvey concluded as he looked at Donna who was standing next to him. "Well sit down, try."

"They've got only one of these chairs on display, Harvey," she replied. "So, you can sit right here," he teased and he clapped with his hands on his legs, as he looked at her with his signature smile. "I thought the purpose of this trip was to test chairs," Donna countered as she leaned forward. "Not your lap," she whispered. Harvey had to suppress a laugh, "well I'm flexible about the purpose, you know."

"I bet you are," she answered. "But I'm perfectly serious," Harvey added, "I need to know if this chair could hold the wait of two persons." Donna laughed out loud. "I'm not falling for that one, Specter. But if you want I could ask that lovely sales lady to come over here," she added as she pointed towards the approximately sixty year old woman further down the shop.

Harvey followed the direction of her hand and looked at the woman and back to Donna. "I think I know enough," he said as he got out of the chair and stood next to her, but Donna didn't seat herself down. "I'm out of the chair, you can sit down now," he said as he grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her in the chair. Harvey had been right, this had been the best chair yet. Not that she could really focus on the chair as his hands still rested on her shoulders, they didn't touch.

Donna threw her head back and looked at him. "Since you're standing there you should give me a massage," the words leaving her lips before she could fully register them, and they sounded more flirtatious than she'd like to admit. "I thought the purpose of this trip was to test chairs, not me giving you a massage," Harvey countered as he leaned in on her, using her own words against her. "Well I'm flexible – "

"Ooh, I know you are," he whispered in her ear.


	15. Chapter 15 - Max, The Missus & Yoga

**Thanks again for all the reviews and follows! Couldn't figure out where to cut this part in half, so here's an extra-long chapter. Enjoy reading and let me know what you think :)**

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 **Chapter 15 – Max, The Missus & Yoga**

Donna almost melted in the chair, right there on the spot. His husky voice resonated in her head and she abruptly felt hot and lost for words. Harvey's smirk changed into a big grin knowing that he caused that slight blush on her cheeks. That he could still get under her skin.

"And has the missus approved?"

They both looked up at the sales woman Donna had just pointed at, she was standing right in front of them and Donna wondered how long she had been standing there. She was still too preoccupied with Harvey's last comment to actually answer the woman's question.

"I don't know," Harvey answered the woman as he got back up. "Honey, do you think we'll take these chairs?" he teased her as he placed his right hand on her shoulder again. Donna simply nodded and got out of the chair as the sales woman asked them to follow her to the counter.

"And how long have the two of you been married?" the woman asked. "Nine years," Harvey replied as he rested his hand on the small of her back, Donna just smiled at the woman and gave Harvey a warning look. "Congrats," the woman answered, "if you two lovebirds could wait a second, I'll go and get the receipt from the warehouse," she continued as she was typing something on the computer.

"That's fine by us," he continued as he let his arm rest on Donna's shoulders. Donna turned her head and smiled at him. _Two could play that game._ She turned to him even more and placed her left hand on his chest and got on her toes. "Sweetheart, you wouldn't mind if I wait outside, do you?" she whispered before she turned around on her toes and walked outside.

Harvey let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He could still feel his skin burning from Donna's touch, even through his suit. "What was that?" she asked the moment Harvey stepped outside and met Donna again. She looked at the flowers in his hand, "and where did you get those?"

"What?" he asked trying to sound innocent, but he knew what she was referring to. "Honey?" she fired back trying to sound pissed, but actually suppressing a smile at the thought that he had called her that. "Ooh that," he answered as if it was nothing. "We totally fooled that sales woman," he answered, but the only ones they were fooling were themselves. "She gave me the flowers for the missus," he gloated as he handed them to her. "You're impossible, you know that," she answered as accepted the flowers.

.

Rachel sneaked into Mike's office and seated herself on his desk. "You'll never guess who are both out of the office," she chirped as she pressed her hands down on the desk. "Let me guess," Mike answered as he pulled his chair back so he could see his fiancée better.

"Uhu," Rachel nodded, "and they both left the office early yesterday," she smiled. "Those sneaky little bastards," Mike answered. "I know, right," Rachel continued as she shook her head. "And making both of us work late. By the way I did a little research on that Agard case you mentioned –"

"And?" Mike asked impatiently. He really was like a puppy who could get overly excited over something. "It's not a case," Rachel said teasingly, saving the best news for last. "She's a therapist. For couples," Rachel answered emphasizing the couples part as she held a file in front of his nose. Mike's eyes widened. "No way. We were right?" he asked as his eyes scanned the marriage record that clearly read Harvey Specter & Donna Paulsen.

.

Dr. Agard stared at the notes she had made during the session with Harvey yesterday. How he had blurted those questions to Donna out of nowhere. It had taken her a couple of minutes to calm him down, but it had showed her one of the basic problems in their relationship.

The fact that Donna had reinforced that rule, because neither of them had actually said what they had needed to say. She had found out that Donna had actually waved her own rule and how much it had bothered Harvey. That he wondered why she hadn't waved it for him. She scribbled down that she would have to confront Donna about that.

"How is it to live together so far?" dr. Agard asked them. "We have our ups and downs, but we try," Donna answered. Dr. Agard leaned forward, pleased with the progress so far. They were actually both talking and they looked more happy than she had seen them before. "Okay, tell me something you did together these days that's different from usual?"

Harvey thought about their shopping trip that morning, but considered it a bit too much to tell now. "Donna made me dinner last night," he concluded. Paula smiled, "That's nice of you Donna," she complemented. "But how is having dinner together, besides the fact that Donna made it, different for the two of you. Both of you told me you often have dinner together at your firm."

"She made me leave work at six," Harvey countered. Paula laughed at his comment, "Okay so describe your normal day to me." Harvey frowned at her request; _what had his regular work day to do with this_. "Uhm, I get up at 6.30, go for a run in the park. I'm at the firm around eight, Donna is already there when I arrive. Then I work till eight or nine on a regular day and if there's an important case it will be till eleven."

"So Donna, you are there until Harvey leaves?" dr. Agard asked, but she already knew. "Yes, most of the times," she replied. Dr. Agard shook her head, "have you ever heard of nine to five workdays?" she questioned. "Ooh please," Harvey answered with the same look on his face he had given Donna the day before.

"Don't you that's a problem, Harvey?" dr. Agard questioned. "I don't see how my working hours should be a problem," he replied defensively. Paula leaned back in her chair and shook her head, "okay, tell me why I asked the two of you to live together."

"To understand what it means to be living together, to be married," he recalled. "Exactly," Paula replied. "How do you want to do that when you spend your entire day at work? You get up, go to work and when you get home you go to sleep again. There's no time for a personal life here," she continued as she got out of her chair. "I have a new rule for you, tomorrow will be a nine to five workday – "

"What?" Harvey protested, Donna just laughed at the entire scene playing in front of her. _The woman must be mad if she thought she could keep Harvey from his work._ "You heard me, a nine to five work day and since you protested no work related activities during the weekend," she continued as walked towards the hallway.

Harvey just stared at the therapist, he was flabbergasted. Donna bit her lip, trying not to laugh as she looked at Harvey. "And to ensure you do, I have a surprise," she said as she opened the door. A young brown Labrador sprinted in the room and right towards Harvey, "I believe you already know this little fellow?" she asked.

Max jumped on Harvey and started licking his face, Donna could no longer hold it and started giggling. Harvey glanced at her as her tried to pull Max from his lap and send him towards Donna. "Why's Max here?" he asked. "Because the two of you are taking care of him for the rest of the week," Paula answered.

.

"I can't believe she contacted Marcus," Harvey said to Donna as they drove back to the firm. Max sat in between them and tried to play with Harvey's tie. Harvey tried to stop the pup from choking him by turning him around and rub his belly. "I can't believe he agreed to this," he continued as he looked at Max.

Donna smiled at the sight next to her, this was a side of Harvey she did not know yet. "She could have only done that if you told her about Marcus having a dog," she concluded, "why did you tell her?" and she was seriously curious about it, she didn't even know Marcus had a dog. "We used to have a dog," he answered as he looked at her, a smile appeared on his face as he thought about it. "Looked a lot like this one here."

"I always wanted one when I was little," she admitted, "but my sister was scared of dogs," she added when Max crawled on her lap. Donna raised the pup in front of her. "How can anyone be scared of somethings so cute as this," she said to Max. "But there's one rule little fellow," she continued, "no licking my face." Max barked at that moment as if he had heard Donna's remark and agreed to it. Harvey laughed, "sounds like a deal."

.

Mike entered Harvey's office and found Donna on the floor playing with Max. "You got a dog?" he asked surprised. "Don't worry, Mike. You'll still be our pup," she teased him. "No, it's Marcus's actually," she answered looking at the associate, "We.. Harvey is taking care of him for the rest of the week."

"Really?" Mike asked, the accidental our & we did not go unnoticed to him. He grabbed his phone and snapped a picture of the sight in front of him. "What are you doing?" Donna asked as she looked at the original pup. "Just to show to Rachel," he improvised, but it was exhibit C, "she's a sucker for puppies," he added as he walked out of the office again to gather Rachel.

.

Harvey stepped out of the elevator as he came back from his meeting with Alexander only to find his associate waiting for him there. "Mike," he said. "Harvey, I need to ask you something," Mike started, not sure how he was going to bring this. "Okay," He answered with a frown on his face as he started walking towards his office, "but if this is about you and Rachel, I can't help you with that."

"No. It isn't," Mike answered as he practically jumped in front of his mentor, "but I need you to follow me to the conference room." Harvey raised his eyebrows, not sure what was going on. "You'll see, just follow me," Mike added as he directed Harvey in the opposite direction of his office.

Harvey sighed and followed the younger man, surprised to see his other associate already in the room with a bunch of papers on the table. "What's going on?" he asked as he walked to the other side of the table, to get a better look at what was in front of him. Rachel got out of the chair to support Mike. "Actually, that's what we like to know?" he asked signalling at the table.

Harvey eyed the table. Swallowing as he saw a copy of his marriage record there, the postcard Donna had send him and a bunch of other papers that all screamed the same conclusion, but Rachel couldn't hold it in anymore. "You two are married!?"

Harvey's head shot up at that question and the look on his face was all Rachel needed to know. "OMG, you are. You actually are," she exclaimed out of excitement. Harvey didn't know what to say. It was true, but it wasn't like that. _Or it hadn't been, but it could be. Maybe._

Either way he didn't feel like explaining, cause he really wouldn't know how or where to start. "Don't ever mention this again," he ordered as he grabbed all the papers from the table and walked out of the conference room. Mike stared at Rachel, "what the hell just happened?"

.

Harvey barged into his office, straight to his desk. He opened the bottom drawer and dropped all the files in there. He hadn't even noticed Donna was right there. "Is everything alright?" she asked as she rushed to his desk, Max following her.

"We have a problem," Harvey answered as he looked at Max who tried to climb his leg. Donna followed his gaze and distanced the pup from Harvey's expensive suit. "Ooh, if you mean the accident this one had in Louis' office," she said as she looked at Harvey again, "I already took care of that."

"No. Wait, he –" he started as he pointed at Max and Donna nodded. "Good boy."

"Harv," Donna fired back. "Ooh come on, it's Louis," he reasoned. "That's not what I meant," Donna continued, "what's the problem?" she asked. Harvey sighed, "They know."

"Harvey, stop being so cryptic. Who is they? And what do they know? There's more than one thing we're keeping a secret here at the office," Donna answered as she counted in her head, _Mike being a fraud, the other time, their marriage, the practice of the can opener…_

"Mike and Rachel know," he started, "about us."

Donna's eyes widened. "What did you tell them?" she asked after a couple of seconds. "Nothing, I told them to never mention it again," he answered. Donna's head was spinning, "you could have denied it," she tried. "I can't deny the truth," he shot back, not realising how much more meaning that sentence had. "That's never stopped you before."

"They had proof alright," he continued. "A copy of our marriage record," he mumbled, fidgeting with other papers on his desk. "You could have told them the truth," she countered, "what's actually going on." He looked back up to her, his eyes locking with hers. "And how would that go?" He responded. "Yes, Donna and I got married eight years ago because I wanted to buy an apartment. That I was supposed to annul our wedding, but I couldn't –"

Donna's heart skipped a beat at those last words. "You couldn't?" she repeated. _He couldn't?! But he said he had forgotten to do it._ Harvey gulped at the realisation of what he had just said; he could feel his heart beating in his chest. _Why did she always have to pick out the exact words he misspoke and confront him about it; except this time it was what had really happened._ "Pause," he panicked.

"Pause? No, Harvey," she begged. "Yes pause," he continued as he turned away from her. "You can't pause because you don't want to talk about something," she shot back. "Well I did," he snarled back. "But pausing is for when we're fighting."

"Look what we're doing," he countered as he threw his hands in the air. Donna sighed, "I'm going to walk away now, but I want an explanation and I'm not going to wait for this week to be over to get one," she ordered as she turned around. Max just looked back and forth between them, but decided to follow the redhead to her cubicle and settle near her feet.

.

Donna was working at her desk when Louis walked towards her. _Ooh, great,_ she thought as she continued with her work. "Donna - ?" Louis started but, Donna raised her index finger ordering him to stop. "Donna?" he tried again, but Donna just looked at him with one eye when she heard Max bark. Donna coughed to cover for the sound.

"Did you just bark at me?" Louis questioned. "Really, Louis," she fired back, "what do you think –"

"Arfff." Max growled from under the desk. Louis practically climbed over her cubicle. "You have a dog?" he asked when he spotted the brown pup playing with one of the wires. "Max, don't," Donna said as she untangled him and placed him on her lab, "It's not mine, Louis."

Louis landed back on his feet and spotted Harvey. "Holy Shit. It's his. Of course it is. That … I need a day," he mumbled as he turned around and walked away. Donna picked up Max's paw and gave him a high five. "Good boy," she whispered.

"Really?" she heard Harvey's voice over the intercom. "What?" she questioned, as she looked at him. "So if praise Max on making fun of Louis, I don't hear the end of it. But if you do it, I can't say anything about it?" She gave him a smirk smile. "Yep, that's how it goes," she answered. "Do you need anything else? Otherwise I'm going, the company just called to deliver your chairs."

.

Harvey walked back into his apartment and he spotted them instantly. The new Eames chairs. He smiled as he thought about their little excursion form that morning and that's when he noticed it. Of course she couldn't leave it at that, just changing the chairs.

The one place where he had a colourful piece of art, was changed as well. _You should add more colour to your life_ , that's what she had said. He walked over to the now all black and white photo wall. The first thing that got his eye was a A2 sized picture of the New York sky line and then he noticed it. The picture of his father.

He lifted it from the wooden shelf and looked at it as he swallowed. He just stood there for a couple of seconds, staring at the picture before he placed it back and looked at another one. It was from the 2010 New Year's drink. Louis and Jessica next to them, holding glasses of champagne.

Harvey smiled as he reached for the postcard in his jacket, he had fished it out of the pile of papers he had confiscated from Mike and Rachel. He stared at the picture of Donna at the beach and placed in next to the other pictures before he walked over to his couch and let himself fall down.

The moment Donna opened the door Max ran inside and jumped on Harvey for the second time that day.

"Max," Harvey called out as he put the puppy on the ground again, "no." Donna laughed and seated herself next to Harvey. "Mike was jealous of him, you know," she said as she signalled at Max.

"It was my dad," Harvey said after a couple of minutes. Donna looked at him, not sure what he was referring at. Harvey sighed, "You wanted to know why," he said as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. He turned his head to face Donna, "The reason I couldn't do it, was because of him. The last time I spoke to him, before he … uh … before he passed away."

Harvey paused for a second. "He teased me about marrying you," he confessed, and it was the truth just not the complete version. "I'm sorry," Donna answered and she was for forcing an answer out of him. She knew what his father meant to him. She decided to ignore the fact his father died nearly three years after they got married and not push any further. At least for now.

.

Harvey lay on his couch with Max on his stomach as he watched Donna walk by in her yoga outfit. Those pants showed every curve. "Where are you going?" he asked. "It's Thursday evening," she replied as she turned towards him. "I'm going to my yoga class, want to join or will all these women in yoga pants be too much of a distraction for you?" she teased him.

"I think I'll pass," he responded. "But I'll walk you to it," he continued as he got up from the couch. "Ooh you don't have to do that," Donna answered as a reflex, but felt flattered that he offered in the first place. "I'm not doing it for you," he teased, "have to take Max for a walk anyway."

.

They strolled down the streets of Manhattan, Harvey practically having to run as Max was chasing a cab. When he had finally gotten the dog to walk at a normal speed, he looked at his watch. They had spent forty minutes in the park, if he'd walk back now he might be in time to pick up Donna at the gym.

He peeked through the window and indeed the class was still going on. He entered the gym and waited for her in the reception and if it was fate the door to the room where the yoga class was held was opened, giving him a full view of Donna who was working herself in the strangest positions.

He tilted his head following the line of her body and swallowed. No, all those other women there wouldn't have mattered to him. His distraction had always been her.

Donna was doing a down ward facing dog when she heard a bark. She turned her head towards the direction of the reception and immediately met his eye. _Harvey was here? How long had he'd been sitting there? Why was he even there?_ All those questions were going through her head, but all she could do was answer his smile, however weird that may have looked. Instead of following the routine with a high leg and a lunge, she returned to an upward facing dog and got of her yoga mat.

"What were you doing here?" she asked as they stepped out of the gym. "Waiting for you," he answered as he took the yoga mat of her shoulder and handed her the extra sweater he had brought along. "I'm not cold," she answered.

"Yes you are," he replied continuing to hold the sweater in front of her. He has seen her shiver as the cold autumn breeze touched her arms. Donna put his sweater on and smiled at him. "How?" she asked. "I'm Harvey," he answered in her usual 'I'm Donna'- tone.

.

"Hey, the mountain has shrunk," Harvey commented as he walked into the bedroom. "It has," Donna confirmed, "I got a bit claustrophobic with all these pillows." Harvey got under the duvet on the other side and lifted the pillow separating their heads. "You can also throw them all out," he suggested as he threw away the pillow, followed by the next one.

"I'm not sure I can trust you staying on your side," Donna countered as she turned around to face him.

Harvey threw out the last pillow, "I'll promise. Besides how do I know you don't come crawling to me?" he teased.

"Please," Donna defended herself, "If you come an inch closer, you're back on the couch." Harvey laughed at Donna's negotiation. "Last time I checked, this is my bed," he countered. "Yet, this morning you needed my opinion on beds," she recalled.

"You don't forget a single thing I say or do, do you?" he asked. "That's pretty much how it works," Donna answered. "Don't think I couldn't do the same thing to you," he answered as he stared at the ceiling. "As if," she replied. "Don't forget you told me about that time you showed your –"

"Okay," she interrupted him. "Alright. Okay. I believe you."

"Good," he laughed and Donna smiled at him, shaking her head now also staring at the ceiling. "Good night, Harvey," she whispered. "Good night, wifey," he answered. "Could you just –"

"Nope," he answered with a smirk.

.

Harvey could feel the warmth of her breath getting closer. He kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep as he turned his face on his pillow. A smile appearing on his face non the less, _what for him having to stay on his side on the bed._ He could feel her hair tickle on his skin as she placed soft kisses on his cheek. "Hmmm … Donna," he mumbled smirking.

"Did you call me?" she yelled from his bathroom.

The placing of kisses on his cheeks changed into licking his face. "Okay, this is new," he mumbled opening one eye. The auburn locks he had been dreaming about changed to a brown fur as he realized Max was hovering above is head. "Max! Get off," he said louder this time as he tried to get the pup off of him, wiping the slime of his face.

Donna laughed as she climbed back on the bed and pulled Max away. She handed him a tissue. "If you saw this happening," he started as he took the napkin out of her hand, "why didn't you stop it?" he groaned. "Please, you and I both know you were hoping that was me," she teased. "No, I wasn't," he lied.

"I was willing to pretend I did not hear you mumble my name, but – "

"Fine, we call it even," he countered as he let himself fall down on his bed again. "Hmmm… Donna," she imitated his voice as she walked out of the bedroom again; giving him a smile as she stopped and looked over her shoulder at the door opening.


	16. Chapter 16 - Things To Keep

**Thanks everyone for the reviews! There will definitely be more interaction/pressure by Rachel and Mike and Max will play an important role in the upcoming events. So here's another long chapter; enjoy reading and let me know what you think :)**

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 **Chapter 16 – Things To Keep**

Harvey growled in his pillow. _Donna._ This woman was going to be the death of him and he wondered if he would even survive this week.

"I heard that," Donna gloated from the living room. _I heard that. What the hell are you doing Donna,_ she questioned herself. Something was definitely going on between the two of them, she could sense it. It was different than their usual banter. She just didn't know if she was ready or if he was for that matter. Either way she needed to get out of that apartment. Stat. And for the first time that week she was happy she had to meet dr. Agard.

Harvey's head shot up from his pillow the moment he heard the front door fall shut. _Did she just run away? Did my teasing became too much? Should I back off? But what she said to me was just as flirtatious. She was definitely flirting with me, wasn't she?_ Harvey was so confused his head was about to explode, he crawled out of bed and got in the shower. A cold one.

The moment he entered the living room he got stopped in his tracks. There were post-it notes everywhere. He smiled. _Donna._ He walked over to his breakfast bar to find one next to a hot cup of coffee and two bagels with cream cheese. It read **'didn't want to interrupt your beauty sleep, here's your breakfast'**.

The one on the newspaper read ' **off to see Paula Agard; see you at the firm'** and the one on his suitcase read **'meeting with Agard at 9.00; you're not allowed to go to the office first'**. Harvey smiled as he was on a scavenger hunt in his own apartment, searching for notes Donna had left for him. He found the next when Max came running over to him; it was attached to his collar and read **'Donna already fed me, but I'd like to get lunch around one o'clock'.**

With Max on his lap he read the newspaper while enjoying his breakfast. He had to suppress the thoughts of how he could get used to this. The notes Donna left for him, the breakfast she made for him or just the fact that Donna was living with him. As he was about to leave he walked Max over to his bench and spotted another post-it note. It was on the postcard he had added to the photo wall. **'I can't believe you kept this'** was what it read.

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"Donna?" Rachel chirped as she walked to Donna's desk, followed by Mike. Donna looked up at the two and knew exactly what they were doing there. "Rach, Mike," she acknowledged them. "So yesterday - ," the female associate started as she leaned on the edge of Donna's desk. "You talked to Harvey," Donna finished Rachel's sentence, "Yes, I know."

"And - "

"And he told you to never mention it again," Donna countered. "Donna, come on," Mike said as he stepped forward and placed a skim milk latte with whipped cream and sugar on her desk. "You know Harvey never talks about anything, is it true?" he asked.

Donna looked at the coffee in front of her and back to Mike, to look in her eyes was enough for Mike to know that it was. "Thanks for the coffee, pup. But I'm not going to let you bribe me," Donna countered, her statement merely confirming that it was in fact true.

"Now go, I've got work to do," she added. She watched the two associates turn around, before she returned to her computer. The sound of heels rushing back made her look up again. "Are we still good for today, Donn?" Rachel asked. "Of course," Donna answered nodding at her best friend.

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"What do you think the outcome of this all will be? The therapy, the ruling by judge Palermo?" dr. Agard asked him. "We'll divorce," Harvey answered, "it what Donna wants, it's what she needs," he added as he thought about their conversation about Donna wanting to be a mom. How she had shut him down on his offer, although he hadn't been able to actually say it. He knew that deep down that was what Donna wanted most and he wouldn't be the one to hold her back.

"Are you sure? Have you asked her about that?" dr. Agard questioned as she thought about her session with Donna earlier that morning. "I know," he answered. Paula sighed, if these two would actually talk the answers would have been so different. "Is that also what you want?"

 _No,_ he sighed, "I want her to be happy."

.

"Harvey, I'd like to talk some more about Donna's rule," Paula stated. Harvey sighed, was she ever going to move on from that subject. "What about her rule?" he asked. "I want you to tell me what you thought or did the first time she told you about your rule," dr. Agard offered.

Harvey thought about that moment in the D.A.'s office, they had been drinking Cameron Dennis' scotch and she'd suggested they needed a ritual or something. A smile appeared on his face as he thought about the whole whipped cream idea he had sketched out for her. He'd definitely been flirting with her.

 _"You're afraid you'd fall for me," he said as he leaned towards her. "Oh, please," she countered as she grabbed her glass, "if anybody's falling for anybody, it would be you for me." He leaned closer, "Sounds like a challenge."_

 _"One you are never gonna get to take," she replied as she placed her glass down again. "Why not?" he answered, his tone more serious than before. "Cause I don't get involved with the men that I work with."_

 _"Okay, then you're fired."_

"Harvey?" dr. Agard asked again. "You zoned out there for a minute, what were you thinking about?" Harvey explained how they had celebrated that he'd become head litigator; how they had been flirting, leaving out the whipped cream ritual. How he had teased her that she would fall for him and that she'd told him about the rule.

"Okay, so what did you say or did you just take that statement for granted?" she asked. "I told her she was fired," he admitted. "Were you in love with her at the time?" dr. Agard asked. Harvey looked up, "What?"

"Come on Harvey, from the moment the two of you met you've been attracted to her. You tried to pursue her, she told you about the rule and the first thing you say to her is that she's fired. That however doesn't happen, but you continue to pursue her anyway until the moment it did happen. There has to be a reason for that. Did you have feelings for her or was she just another conquest," dr. Agard provoked.

"Don't call her that," Harvey shot back angrily. "I take that means she wasn't just another name on the list," she pushed again. "I … I liked her, okay," he mumbled, not being able to use other words to describe the situation. "Okay. So you slept together and then you didn't like her like that anymore?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked as he leaned forward. "Right after that, she reinforced her rule," dr. Agard recalled from her notes. "Yes, so?" he hissed, _where was this woman getting at._ Dr. Agard let out a breath and placed her notebook down. "So did all of a sudden your feelings for her disappear?" she asked.

"No," he replied confused. "Then why did you agree to her rule?" Paula asked. Harvey sighed. "Because she didn't want both and I didn't want to lose her."

"Are you sure about that?" she continued. "What are you implying?" he countered, crossing his legs, his left hand falling around his ankle. "Did you protest? Did you ask why she'd reinforce it? Did you ask if that was indeed all she wanted?" Paula asked, but she already knew the answer.

Harvey opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't . She was right he had not done any of those things. _Should I have asked her, is she saying Donna wanted more back then,_ he thought. "You didn't," Paula continued, "you assumed, but I bet you wonder to this day if you were right."

.

"Tell me about the time you found out Donna was seeing Stephen," Paula continued. "We already talked about this," Harvey protested. "We did, but I want you to tell me again," she pushed. "I told her it bothered me," Harvey replied, just like he had said before.

"Were you jealous of him?" Paula asked. "I told you it bothered me that she waved the rule for him, if that made me jealous. Fine," he answered. "I believe that you believe you were bothered by that," dr. Agard stated. "What's that supposed to mean, I told you how I felt," Harvey defended himself.

"I think you weren't really bothered by it," she continued, "it proved to you that Donna could change her mind about her rule. It may felt like it bothered you, but I think it gave you hope and that scared you."

"Scared?" Harvey repeated raising his eyebrows. _No one had ever called him scared and he wasn't about to let a therapist tell him that he was._ "Yes, scared," she repeated. Paula sighed, as she recalled her conversation with Donna. She knew she shouldn't, that she wasn't allowed to talk about what Donna had said in her sessions, but breaking that rule might be the only way to help Harvey. To help both of them realize what they could have.

She had never seen two people that knew each other the way Donna and Harvey knew one another, yet were completely oblivious of their own feelings towards one another. "Believe me when I say you could have had both, if you had fought for it. But you didn't."

Harvey swallowed, repeating dr. Agard's words in his head. _Could have had both._ "Then she should have told me," he answered. "Really, like you told her," Paula fired back. "I didn't know," he protested. "Just like she didn't know she was more than just another conquest for you," Paula replied.

"But, she's Donna," he protested, "she knows everything." _Right? Donna knew everything, she always said she did. She should have known._ "How should she have known?" Paula asked as is she had just read his mind, "How should she know if you never showed or told her."

.

Harvey massaged the bridge of his nose, fighting the headache all this information was giving him. He was pretty much done with the session, but dr. Agard thought otherwise as she continued with her next statement. _Or accusation,_ Harvey thought.

"I still think you wouldn't have pursued a relationship with her," she continued. "You don't know what I would or wouldn't have done if I had known," he countered. "I think I do, Harvey. Cause it shouldn't have mattered if you had known, if she had told you about her feelings. You didn't fight for her because you were scared." Harvey let out a deep breath, "are we back at that subject again?"

"Actually we're back at talking about your mother, because last time you also said you didn't want to hurt or disappoint her. That's what you are really scared of," Paula stated. "Stop making this about my mother!" he fired back.

"Harvey don't you see that whatever your mother did is at the basis of why you are scared of hurting or disappointing Donna?"

Harvey sighed and stared at dr. Agard, fighting the memories of what his mother had done to his father. How he had come home from school feeling sick; how he had looked for his mother. The other man, cousin Scott, that had been in the room with her getting dressed. How his mother was telling him to not tell his father. He had been only eight years old.

.

"Harvey, I'm sorry you had to go through that at such a young age," but it's not your fault."

"I should have told my father," he sighed. "You trusted her," Paula stated. "I did," he answered, "and look where that has led to," he gestured the room around them, his head shaking from left to right. "Is that the reason you value loyalty so much?" dr. Agard continued. "You're afraid of trusting people, of letting them in, because there is the possibility they hurt you," she stated.

Harvey nodded. "Harvey, what your mother did to your father was horrible; leaving you and your brother is even worse," she stated, "but not everyone is like your mother and you are not your father."

.

She paused for a second, "Not letting people in is exactly why they might leave."

"I don't understand," he replied regarding her last statement. "You were afraid to fight for Donna on the possibility that it wouldn't work out, that she would leave you," dr. Agard stated. "So you settled for less. For her to work for you, because you knew she wouldn't leave you in that situation."

"I did," he mumbled nodding. "Is that the reason why you didn't annul your wedding, because it would feel like she'd be leaving you?"

"I guess," Harvey answered. "You know she has chosen you over her boyfriends on several occasions. I don't think she did that because of her job, but because of you," dr. Agard continued. "She's been fighting for you Harvey, but what if Donna meets someone she will choose over you? There comes a time Donna will stop fighting for you."

Harvey opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't. "Harvey," Paula asked to get his attention, "I can't guarantee what will happen, but I do know that if you are not going to start letting her in, you will lose her. Eventually. You can't let her wait forever, Harvey."

.

Harvey walked towards his office when in the distance he spotted the redhead and that was when the remarks dr. Agard made during their sessions finally hit him. He had been scared, scared of his feelings for Donna. Scared of getting hurt. He didn't let anyone completely in, not even Donna. Never entirely. Never enough for him to be in the position of possibly getting really hurt. He wasn't like his dad. He had been acting like his mother, he stopped fighting for what he could have had, for what he had wanted. For what he still wanted.

"Donna," he started as he waited in front of her cubicle. He could feel his heart beating in his chest and no it wasn't the most romantic place to ask her out, but he couldn't wait anymore. He had to do something. "Harveeey," she chirped back as she turned her head around, to meet his eye. She couldn't help but notice his smile, the sparkle in his eye making her heart skip a beat.

"How about we go to Del Posto tonight?" he asked, _geez Specter was that the way you were going to ask; rephrase now. Would you like to –_ Donna looked up at him, "Uhm, actually I have plans with Rachel." _Crap Donna, why did you say that, you could have rescheduled with Rachel; not really, but still._ "But I could – "

"Have fun, Donna," he answered as he walked away. _Donna do something. Anything. Now._ "Harvey," she mumbled, she wasn't even sure if she was ready to go to dinner with him. Not that they hadn't had dinner together all week and they ordered in quite often, but this was different. At least it sounded different.

"It's okay, Donna," he replied.

.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on?" Rachel asked as she walked next to Donna during their lunch hour. Donna gave her a questioning face, "I have no idea what you're talking about," she lied as she opened the door to her apartment.

"Ooh come on, you know exactly what I'm talking about," Rachel continued, "and I won't stop bugging you until you tell me what's going on." Rachel entered Donna's apartment. "So, you and Harvey?" Donna sighed. "Do you still want my help?" she asked, referring to the something borrowed part Rachel was looking for, as she walked over to her walk in closet.

"Of course I do," Rachel countered as she followed Donna, "Wow this thing is huge," she continued as she looked around. "Are all these bags from .." she asked as she stared at the wall. "Yep," Donna replied, deliberately leaving out his name.

They continued searching through the pieces, still not being able to find what they were looking for. "I know I have something that matches the description of what you're looking for," Donna continued as she opened another drawer, "it has to be in here somewhere." Rachel continued searching in a large bag that came from the back of the closet, "are you going to answer my original question?"

"I need to pee," Donna said as she got up. "Donna, I know this trick," she countered as she thought about that evening in Harvey's office. "It's not a trick," Donna replied as she looked back at Rachel in the door opening. She sighed. "It's true. We're married," she mumbled as she continued walking to the bathroom. It was the first time she had actually said that out loud.

Rachel smiled at the fact that Donna had finally admitted that, when she found an old doll's box. She turned it around and found herself staring at Harvey's face. "Donna?!" Donna hurried back at the calling of her best friend, "What's wrong Rachel?"

Rachel turned the box to Donna, "What's this?" Donna started laughing, "Do you remember Joy, the woman that made that doll of Mike? This is Harvey's," the redhead pointed at the object. "I can see that, but why do you have it?" Rachel asked looking at the doll again. "He was going to throw it away," Donna countered.

.

On the way back to the firm Donna finally explained what was going on, why she had married Harvey. She however did leave the fact that they were currently living together due to an assignment of a court ordered therapist because she needed a divorce for her IVF treatment out of the explanation. Things were complicated enough already.

"So you're not in love with him?" Rachel asked disappointed, but Donna didn't answer. The redhead just looked away. "OMG, you are!" Rachel exclaimed.

.

Donna walked back to her cubicle. Her conversation with Rachel on replay in her mind, she hadn't been able to answer that question nor protest to Rachel assumption. Dr. Agard had been right, she had to learn to accept how she was feeling, but it scared her to death to accept the feeling that she tried to suppress for so many years.

She placed her larger bag with the doll box in it under her desk and seated herself down. As she turned around to her computer she noticed the post-it note on the screen. She smiled and shook her head as she read his message. He'd gone home for lunch to feed and walk Max. _Who would have thought that giving the man a dog would turn him in quite the family man._

Her daydream was interrupted by Jessica. "Donna, where is he?"

"At home for lunch," Donna answered, but realised that wouldn't be a reason for Harvey to have left the office, "and to feed Marcus's dog he's looking after," she added for clarification. "Really?" Jessica answered. "I don't know what you've done to him," she continued as she placed a box on Donna's desk, "but make sure he stays this way. Ooh and when he comes back, tell him I want to see him," Jessica finished as she turned around.

Donna stared at the box in front of her that had a post-it with her name on it. Inside she found her favourite cupcake. _Had Harvey changed so much that even Jessica would notice it? Was she the reason he was changing? Did she even want him to change?_

 _._

Harvey entered his office and found Donna sitting on his couch, talking to someone, but there was no one else there. "Are you talking to yourself?" he asked her, with a frown on his face. Donna looked up, "No, I was actually talking to you," she said as she pointed at the doll on the other end of the couch.

Harvey took another step to see what she was referring at and shook his head, "and what have I said so far?" he asked, playing along. "Ooh not much, just a day off so I can go to the spa in Berkshire," she teased as she continued, "ooh what's that, you want to give me a handbag and new shoes?" _And you asked me to dinner again and I said yes._

Harvey smiled as he walked past the couch and opened a bottom a drawer of his closet and picked up a similar box, "If you're going to talk to that, I'll just get myself someone else to talk to," he said. Donna looked at him, "What's that? Is that supposed to be me?"

"Joy said it came as a pair," he answered. Donna gave him a questioning look. "No she didn't. You asked her to make one, didn't you?" she countered, which Harvey ignored. "That's creepy even for you," she added as she took the box from Harvey's hands. Donna inspected the doll. "OMG, I look hot," she exclaimed as she turned the box around, "doesn't it?"

Harvey shook his head at her reaction. "I prefer the actual version," he answered. Donna got off the couch and walked over to him. "Thanks," she whispered. "But just so we're clear you saying that was not the goal of this conversation," she added as she placed her hand on his shoulder as she passed by him. "Ooh and Jessica wants to see you in her office."

.

Harvey walked towards Jessica's office. "What am I doing here, Jessica?" he asked annoyed. "You're going to sit down and listen," Jessica fired back as she seated herself in her desk chair. She reached for something in the drawer and placed the box on her desk. She moved it towards Harvey.

"Thought I'd get you this," she added with a smirk on her face. "What's this?" he questioned as he stared at the tiffany blue box. Jessica smiled at him, surprised he didn't recognize the exact words he had said to her. "A wedding gift. I'm sorry it's so late, but it's hard to be on time when I never knew you were married," she continued with his words.

"Jessica," Harvey sighed, signalling he didn't want to talk about it. Jessica crooked her head. "The two of you are married," she stated as she stood again. "It's not –"

"What it seems?" she continued, "I know, but the only ones you're fooling are yourselves." Harvey walked back to his desk, the words from Jessica and Paula repeating in his head, the present in his hand."Jessica gave you a gift?" she asked as she saw Harvey approaching her cubicle.

"Actually," he started as he leaned on her desk, "it's for you," he continued as he handed her the gift. "Jessica got me a gift?" she asked suspiciously as she inspected the box. _Why would Jessica give me a gift, she had already brought me the cupcake Harvey had left me in the partner's kitchen. And Jessica is not really the reaching out kind of person. Would this have anything to do with what she said to me earlier. About Harvey changing, is she giving me a present for that –_

"The gifts are usually for the bride," he answered. Donna looked up at him and swallowed, "she knows." Harvey nodded in agreement. "I told Rachel," Donna confessed, "not everything. Just why we got married," she added.

"Great," Harvey answered as he walked to his office. _Why did she have to tell Rachel? That Jessica knew the full story, okay not really but still, was enough._ Donna got out of her chair and followed him, "great?" she questioned him. "Yes, if Rachel knows, that means Mike will know soon which means he won't bug me about it anymore," he said as he walked around his desk and placed himself in his chair. "Anything else?" he asked annoyed.

"Uhm," Donna started as she seated herself on a chair across Harvey's desk, "about tonight – " Harvey sighed. "Yes you had plans with Rachel." _Another thing he was annoyed about._ "I had," Donna started, making Harvey look up at her.

"I mean I do," she continued as she let out a breath, "okay so the thing is I was supposed to have dinner with Rachel to celebrate that she's getting married, but me going out with Rachel is kind of against the rules of this week," she lied; dr. Agard had never explicitly told her that she couldn't hang out with a friend, but Harvey didn't know that.

"It's okay, Donna. I won't tell her," Harvey answered. _Geez Harvey, what do you want? Okay Donna just stick to the plan._ "I uh … I was thinking since you haven't done anything with Mike to celebrate yet, maybe we could host them a dinner party tonight?"

Harvey crooked his head as he looked at her. "A dinner party," he repeated as he thought about the dinner party Donna had thrown for her mother. "On one condition, no shrimps." Donna smiled, "there won't be anyone with that much hairspray in her hair to spit one in in the first place," she joked, making Harvey laugh.

"So just the four of us," he asked. _Does this count as a double date?_ "Make it six, I also invited Louis and Jessica," she answered. "You already invited everyone?" he asked confused. "You knew I was going to agree, didn't you?"

Donna smiled and got out of the chair, "I did and yes, I knew." Harvey smiled. _She knew._ "Ooh, and you better leave early today," Donna continued as placed a post-it note on his desk, "because you are in charge of dinner." Harvey looked down at the post it note where she had written the menu for tonight on. He smiled at the realisation it was a combination of his favourite dishes.

.

Harvey opened a bottle of wine, pouring two glasses. One for Donna and one for him. "Drinking already? It's only five," Donna teased him. "You invited Louis to my apartment," he countered as he handed her a glass, "last time he was here he showed up in his bathrobe sleepwalking." Donna laughed, "Mike told me he doesn't wear underwear, so you were lucky with the bathrobe there."

"Ugh," Harvey exclaimed as he continued with the meat, "thanks for the visual." Donna smiled at Harvey's remark as she turned around and grabbed the vegetables. "You should have seen him in his costume for Merchant of Venice."

"He was amazing by the way," she said as she turned around again to wash her hands. They accidentally touched hands as she reached for the towel and Harvey wanted to hand it to her. Setting both their hands on fire. Donna pulled back, but Harvey handed her the towel as he smiled at her. Donna swallowed and took it out of his hands. "Thanks," she whispered, lost for words.

They continued working together in the kitchen, side by side. As if it was the most natural thing in the world and maybe it was. Just like they had been working side by side at the firm for over a decade, they manoeuvred the kitchen like no other. Handing each other kitchenware and spices without having to ask one another. It felt so natural that Harvey didn't even noticed how he placed his hands on her hips to move her aside as she was standing in front of the oven. The look on Donna's face after his movement told him that it wasn't, not yet. He quickly released her and turned around to continue of the appetizers. Donna decided to focus on setting the table.

.

"This is delicious," Rachel said after the first bite, making the other guests nod at her agreement. Donna smiled at her friend. "Harvey made it," she answered proudly as they exchanged looks. "Really, Harvey?" Louis asked, in awe of _his_ best friend. "I had no idea."

"You should try his bourbon glazed smoked salmon," Jessica added as she remembered the time he made dinner for her after Quinten had died. "Or his blueberry pancakes," Donna added without realising she was the only one mentioning a breakfast.

"Thanks everyone," Harvey replied quickly, "but we're not here for my cooking," he continued as he raised his glass. "To Mike and Rachel."

.

Jessica joined Harvey in the kitchen to help him clean up after dinner, while the rest had moved towards the living room. Jessica turned around and saw Harvey casually leaning against his counter staring at the scene in front of him. Donna and Louis were showing their scene form the Merchant of Venice to Mike, Rachel and Max who was sitting in between the couple.

Jessica didn't need to follow his eye to know at whom he was looking, it could only be Donna. It was the smile on his face that made Jessica grin. "Harvey," she whispered making Harvey turn around and face her. "Don't make her wait forever."

.

After Jessica had left and demanded Louis to come with her, the four of them were left in the living room. Rachel and Mike on the couch, leaving Harvey and Donna each in a separate chair. Which may have been the best option that night.

"Okay, okay," Mike said, "so I work at the firm. I'm female. Am I a partner?" he asked before he took another sip of his drink. "Ooh, you wish," Harvey laughed trying to keep the piece of paper on his head. Donna being Donna had only needed two questions to guess who she was, so she just enjoyed the three of them guessing while she petted Max that lay on her lap.

A couple of rounds further, Rachel had also guessed her character and Harvey noticed everyone's glasses where empty. "Everyone another drink?" he asked as he was about to get up, but Rachel interrupted him.

"Let me get it," she offered as she got up, "you're still playing."

"Sure, wine is in the second cabinet," he answered as Rachel walked to the kitchen to get the wine. Rachel grabbed the can opener that lay on the counter. She stared at the inscription on it and wondered what it meant. "Mike, honey, since you are never going to guess who you are," Rachel started, "just look at the piece of paper, will you."

Mike removed the paper from his head, "I'm Norma?!" he exclaimed, "why?" making Donna and Harvey laugh. Rachel demonstratively placed the can opener on the table. "I think it's time to elaborate on that whole can opener thing that you two have got going on," she added.

Donna looked at Harvey and hesitated for a second. Rachel just stared at the big grin on Harvey's face, there was no way she was buying that story from Donna that there was nothing going on between them. "You won't believe what they do with that," Mike exclaimed out of excitement.

"Wait you know?" Rachel asked in disbelief as she turned to face her fiancée. Donna sighed and reached for the can opener as Harvey walked to his desk and tossed her a pack of thumbtacks. "Okay, so what we do is –"

.

"Donna," he called from the living room after the happy couple had left as well. "Yeah, what's up?" she called back. "Could you just come here for a sec?" he continued as he leaned on the couch. Donna walked over from the bedroom, wearing Harvey's old Harvard shirt.

"What do you need?" she asked as she stopped in front of him. Harvey looked at her. _Perfect,_ he thought as he got off the couch and took a step towards her, his hands still on his back. "Okay, close your eyes," he whispered.

"Harvey what are you doing?" she mumbled back, as she gave him a questioning look. "Just close your eyes," he whispered again as he took another step towards her. Donna swallowed, she could feel her heart beating in her chest, but did what he asked anyway.

Harvey removed his hands from his back and leaned in on her, his lips near her ear. She could smell his cologne, nearly feel his 5 o'clock shadow on her cheeks. She could hear him opening his mouth as if he was about to whisper something in her ear or kiss her ear lope, both of the options she would have been fine with.

But he didn't, instead she could feel his fingers gently touching her stomach before she heard him stepping back. "You can open your eyes now," he said as he entered his bedroom and climbed in his bed, thinking about all the things he had wanted to do.

Donna let out a breath and swallowed. Her hands moved towards her stomach, her skin burning from Harvey's touch. She smiled as she felt the post-it that was attached to the shirt she was wearing. She removed it and turned it around to read the message that was written in his handwriting.

 **'I can't believe you kept this'**


	17. Chapter 17 - Therapy, Tanner & Tension

**Elle, the message on the post-it was 'I can't believe you kept this'. Thanks for all the reviews! Really enjoy reading them. Going back to my previous chapters I realised how much of a Darvey shipper my version of dr. Agard is, as you'll see in this part. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy reading and let me know what you think :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 17 – Therapy, Tanner and Tension**

Harvey watched Donna enter the bedroom with the post-it in her hands and a big smile on her face. He loved the way her hair bounced with every step she took, the hair that had worked as a magnet to his eyes every time he entered a room where she was supposed to be.

Harvey just smiled at her as she lay herself down on her stomach with her lower legs up, crossed at her ankles. He couldn't help but stare at her bare legs, her feet, remembering how ticklish she used to be. He wondered if that was still the case.

She held the post-it in front of him, giving him a questioning face. Harvey took it from her hands and stuck the post-it on the head board of the bed, imitating her face. Donna turned on her back. "I took it as my wedding gift," she said with a smile.

"What was the trip to the Bahamas then?" he countered. "That," she continued as she moved under the duvet, "was a very well deserved vacation." She turned her head towards him, "why did you keep the card?"

 _You send me a picture of you in nothing but a bikini and didn't expect me to keep it._ "My wedding gift?" he countered.

"Wasn't this place enough?" she questioned as she turned around to face him. "Nope," he answered. Donna moved around again, wiggling her feet under the blanket. "What are you doing in there?" he asked. "Warming my feet," she countered, "they're cold."

Harvey moved his feet towards hers. "Harvey," she mumbled, "feet…" she bit her own lip. "What?" he continued a smirk on his face, as he dragged her feet towards the middle of the bed. "Ooh, don't think I'm enjoying this," he teased. "How am I supposed to fall asleep if you keep moving around."

Donna raised her eyebrows to question his statement as she trailed her toes along his feet. "Look who's invading the other side of this bed now," he teased her. "This," she flirted as she continued, "is just in order to warm my feet."

.

Harvey woke up in the middle of the night, but he was unable to get up. Something was holding him down and he slowly turned his head, noticing how Donna had curled up against him. How she was sleeping with her head on his chest and her leg wrapped around his. He grinned. _And I am supposed to stay on my side of the bed?_

He wanted to remain in that position, forever even maybe. Just her in his arms, but unfortunately his bladder didn't agree. Reluctantly he moved Donna and got out of his bed. By the time he got back Donna had rolled back to her side of the bed, her back facing him.

Harvey let out a small sigh as he lay himself down on his stomach. Instantly missing the warmth of Donna's body against his. He hesitated for a moment but eventually he extended his right arm and let his hand rest on her waist, he didn't pull her closer afraid to wake her up.

Donna woke up an hour later and noticed Harvey's hand around her waist. She smiled and was pretty pleased with herself that in hadn't been her giving in this time. She softly covered his hand with hers and removed it from her waist trying not to wake him, but he already was.

She tried to remove her hand from their now interlaced fingers as Harvey was fighting back pretending to be asleep. He opened an eye and stared at the alarm clock on his side of the bed. It was only four in the morning. _She'll be back,_ he thought as he closed his eyes again.

Donna sat herself on the edge of the bed before she got out of it. She had no idea what time it was, but it couldn't be long until they would have to get up. Donna always woke up twenty minutes before her alarm. As she took a sip from her glass of water she stared at the clock on the microwave which read 04:03. She blinked twice to make sure that was really what it said before she realised she should probably get back to bed. She tip toed back to his bedroom and crawled under the duvet with her back towards Harvey.

Not even a minute had passed before she felt Harvey's hand on her waist again. She tried to hide her smile even though Harvey couldn't see it, she wasn't going to make it this easy for him. She slapped his arm indicating him to remove it. The opposite was true as he now hold her even tighter.

"Harvey," she mumbled, this time grabbing his hand with more force and placing it in between them while turning on her back. "What," he mumbled as he turned his head towards her. "Hands," she answered, "keep them with you."

 _Really. Typical something for her to say,_ Harvey thought as he felt her eyes burning on his skin. He yawned and opened his eyes to find her staring at him with one eye open. "You're going to sleep with one eye open?" he questioned her face.

"If that's what it takes to keep your hands away from me," she answered although she already missed the warmth of his arm wrapped around her. "I was only holding you because you kept moving around," he improvised, he didn't want to tell her it had been her who was all curled up against him when he woke up and how he had felt the need to pull her close again.

Donna tried to suppress a smile, she knew for fact that wasn't true. She was a very calm sleeper. "Ooh," she whispered, "well … you may hold me if and only if I start moving again," she said as she turned on her side. She realised her mistake, not really, when he wrapped his arm around her again. "After I return to my sleeping position," she added to cover herself, but all he did was wrap his arm around her a little further.

.

Harvey stared at all Donna's products on the counter of his bathroom. Her shampoo, her body lotion, her make-up and all he could do was smile at it. Smile at how different it was with her. When Scottie had lived here he had been annoyed by all the little things she had changed and added, but with Donna it was different.

He loved the smell of her shampoo and couldn't think of not smelling that in the morning. He continued brushing his teeth as he looked at Donna in the mirror. She was standing next to him in his Harvard shirt also brushing her teeth.

Donna was always beautiful, but this version of Donna – the just out of bed and in his clothes look – had to be his favourite.

.

"So, you are almost at the end of your week," dr. Agard stated as she looked at the two in front of her. They were still sitting on either side of the couch, but not attached to the their armrests anymore. They looked more relaxed, both sitting straight instead of leaning away from each other. She also noticed how Donna's arm was resting alongside her body, not on her lap like she usually had.

"How have things changed?" Paula continued. Donna started explaining how things had changed between them, remaining cryptically as ever. "I think we've grown as friends," Donna concluded. "Yes, it was a great week. Felt like I was back in college sharing a dorm with my best friend," Harvey confirmed. "Which she is," he added as he glanced at Donna.

Dr. Agard looked at Donna and back to Harvey. The amount of times they said 'friends' in the past minutes was ridiculous and it did not go unnoticed to her. She internally sighed at those two, but decided to play along. "Donna is your best friend?" she asked.

Harvey nodded and Donna smiled as she saw him do that in the corner of her eye. "Donna, you smiled. Is Harvey also your best friend?" dr. Agard continued. Donna looked at Harvey and thought about Rachel, but if she had to be honest he was. "Yes, he is," she answered, but he was so much more. He was her boss, her best friend and the man she had secretly loved for the last decade.

"Okay, so tell me this," Paula started when she leaned back in her chair. "How come, as best friends," she continued suppressing the desire to use air quotes, "I've never seen the two of you touch. Not once. No reassuring gestures of holding one another when talking about something difficult, not even an accidental brush of arms."

Donna swallowed when she heard the words from Paula, she couldn't help but think about last night. How they had fallen asleep and how she had woken up in his arms. They both knew that had happened, but neither of them had acknowledged it. Both wondering if the alcohol they had the night before was to blame.

She also knew why they rarely touched, it was this unwritten rule between the two of them. Introduced at the same moment she had reinstated the rule, because it would have been unbearable otherwise. Harvey sighed and thought about his conversation with Paula form yesterday. About being scared. About not fighting for Donna. No more.

He glanced to his right and covered Donna's hand with his, caressing the palm of her hand with his thumb. "We don't have a problem with touching," he bragged, but he could already feel why they normally didn't. Donna just stared at their hands, she could feel her heart starting to beat faster. Him holding her hand was one thing, but the caressing of her palm made her feel a bit uneasy in front of dr. Agard.

As if holding hands wasn't enough dr. Agard pushed even further. "Okay good," she started, "research shows people can bond even further as friends when they hug. I want the two of you to just hold each other for a minute."

"What?!" Harvey asked releasing Donna's hand. "And what is next? Are you going to ask us to kiss?" he shot back, feeling like dr. Agard was not realising what was going on. Donna's head shot up as she heard Harvey say those word. Somehow it almost sounded offensive; if kissing her would be the last thing on earth he wanted to do.

 _If that would make the two of you realise how you'd truly felt about each other, I might,_ dr. Agard thought. "No, Harvey," Paula sighed. "I won't be asking that. All I want is for you two to stand up and embrace each other," she asked again.

Harvey glanced at Donna, as if he was asking for permission before he got off the couch and let down a sigh. He extended his hand towards Donna, who excepted it and got off the couch, without breaking eye contact.

She was confused as to what this whole therapy thing was doing to both of them. She had felt happy that morning, waking up in his arms. Happy to the point she had not wanted to get out of bed till forever. And just a minute ago the tone in his voice had made her second guess everything that was going on. Yet he was standing here. In front of her, with those deep brown eyes and that slight smirk on his face.

They were still holding hands as Donna stood opposite of him. She could feel her heart beat starting to increase again. The same was happening with Harvey, not that she could see how much just holding her hand affected him.

They stood there for a while, just looking in each other's eyes, both hesitant. Awkward was the understatement of the year. Paula observed the two in front of her, it felt like she was watching one of those documentaries on animal planet, where this surely would have been the slowest and weirdest mating session. "You do know how to hug?" she asked, making Donna laugh at the entire situation, which made Harvey relax for a minute releasing Donna's hand again.

"Of course," Harvey sighed as he turned his head to Paula. "It's just –"

"It's just what?" dr. Agard pushed. "It's so not us," Harvey added, "I don't … I don't think we've ever embraced each other," he added, _at least not when either of us was fully dressed or not in bed,_ as he felt Donna's hand on his chest. Harvey turned his head around again only to find Donna much closer to him that she just had been.

"Let's just do this," she whispered as her left hand slipped over his shoulder and around his neck, followed by her right arm, making him bury his head in her neck. As if it was suddenly the most natural thing in the world he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer. The smell of her shampoo infiltrated his nose and it was like their bodies were made for each other's. She was so close he could feel her chest pressing even more against him every time she took a breath. He was pretty sure she would be able to feel how his heart rate was adjusting to hears as if they were beating as one.

.

Dr. Agard watched her two patients walk out of the room. She shook her head. How such a simple task could have such a big influence. She had asked them to hold each other for a minute, but they had been standing there for at least ten. It's that she was a complete professional, otherwise she would have been able to capture the exact moment those two realising how much they mean to one another.

.

The rides from therapy back to his apartment had always been quiet, mostly because they didn't want to discuss things in front of Ray. This time it was different, but it was still quiet non the less. It was the kind of silence that was soft and comforting, because of a mutual understanding that something had changed. But on the other hand it was the kind of silence that was waiting and deafening, because neither dared to address it.

.

Harvey stared at the bag in his hand before his gaze landed on Donna once again. She was sitting in front of the fire place playing with Max. Harvey sighed as he looked at the bag again. He really wanted to go boxing, get rid of the tension inside him ever since dr. Agard had made them hug, but on the other hand he just wanted to be near her. In every possible way.

Donna rolled over on her stomach with Max jumping over her as she looked up to Harvey. "Is everything okay?" she asked, wondering what has gotten into him. He seemed a bit distant the rest of the morning. "Yeah," he mumbled, "I uh .. I was about to go to boxing and I wondered if you wanted to join?"

"Me? Boxing?" she sat down on her legs giving him a questioning face. _Okay, maybe I haven't really thought it trough._ "I could teach you," he offered putting up a smile. He knew she found it very hard to resist that smile, it was a sort of last resource for when he needed something. That or the puppy eyes.

"It will be fun," he added. And it was working. Donna shook her head and smiled at him. "Okay, just let me get my stuff," she answered as she got up from the floor and walked towards him. Harvey handed Donna her gym bag with a smirk on his face. "Here you go."

"Really?" she questioned him. "What?" he countered, "you do that to me like all the time. Get used to it," he countered in the tone she'd use on him. "Fine," she laughed as she took the bag from his hand. "Come Max, let's go," Harvey said to the dog. "I thought we could walk him afterwards," he added for clarification.

.

"Okay, get over here," Harvey said as he watched Donna struggle with the hand wrap. He reached for her hand and continued wrapping the stretchy cloth around it. His fingers lingering on hers just a second longer each time the fabric went around her knuckles.

Donna looked at his hands holding hers, unable to stop staring she also noticed how muscled his arms actually were. How the black V-cut t-shirt showed her more skin of him than she had seen lately. She couldn't help but think about how those arms had held her this morning. She followed the line of his neck and jaw with her gaze until her eyes rested on his signature smirk. The one that had her put under a spell all those years ago.

Harvey continued tying the laces of her boxing gloves as he noticed her mind had wondered off to somewhere else. She would frown a little as she was deep in thought and he always secretly enjoyed that look on her face. It were those moments he allowed himself to look at her, because he knew she wouldn't really notice.

Harvey released her hand and placed his right index finger under her chin as he lifted her head. Donna woke up from her daydream when she felt his fingers around her jaw, sending goose-bumps all over her arms. She noticed how his smirk had changed in a big smile and that may have had an even more mesmerizing effect on her as all she could do was replicate that smile until her eyes locked with his. His deep brown eyes that seemed to sparkle.

"You ready?" he asked as he let go of her face and took a step back. Donna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she nodded she was. After he had explained how she should place her feet he took place behind the punch bag to hold it into place. "Okay, show me what you've got."

"Just punch?" Donna asked. "Yeah, you could pretend this thing is Hardman if that makes it easier," he joked, recalling the time she had slapped Hardman twice after the whole memo debacle. Donna laughed and threw a punch at the bag.

"Okay, wait," Harvey continued as he walked away from the bag an positioned himself behind her, his head oved her right shoulder as he placed his right hand on Donna's arm. "Now follow my lead," he whispered as gently pushed her right arm forward. Showing her how to throw a good punch.

"Keep the rest of your body still as you extend your fist straight forward," he continued telling as he felt himself being intoxicated by the smell of her hair. "Exhale sharply as you punch, rotating your hand so your fist lands with the palm down. And pull back immediately after the impact to defend," he continued as he guided her.

Harvey traded the punch bag for his own boxing gloves, so she could practice how to punch an opponent. Harvey held his boxing gloves in resting position in front of him and instructed Donna to keep throwing punches. All of a sudden Harvey removed his left arm on purpose, so she would actually punch him.

"OMG, I'm so sorry," Donna exclaimed the moment she realised she had actually hit him, her reaction making Harvey laugh. "What's so funny," she asked as she let her arms hang besides her body. "Because," he started while he rested his hands on her shoulders, "you're apologizing in a sport where you are supposed to hit someone."

Donna mirrored his move by placing her boxing gloves on his shoulders, bringing their heads so close together, they could be leaning on each other with their temples. "Like this," she teased him as she softly punched him on his chest again, while retaining eye contact.

Harvey smiled. "Or like this," he continued as he gently placed his glove on her waist. They kept turning and toying around each other throwing extremely soft punches until they both fell down on the mat. Harvey on top of Donna. The result of a bad case of giggles.

He couldn't help but smirk when he tried to get up again, but her smile and shimmering eyes were just too enchanting. Donna could feel the tension between them build as she tried to steady her breathing. The fact that Harvey's body was hovering above hers, in such a proximity that they would almost touch every time she inhaled, wasn't helping. He glared at her trembling bottom lip, trying to remember how they tasted, how they felt on his skin.

"Specter," a dark voice said, "if you stop hitting on Red, how about we show her how it's really done?" Harvey seated himself on the mat first before he got up. "Tanner," he started annoyed, "what do you mean?"

"You, me, in the ring," Tanner continued as he helped Donna on her feet. "Give this one here a little show," he added with a wink. Harvey looked at Donna and back to Tanner. "Sure," he answered realising that if Tanner hadn't shown up they might had given everyone in the gym front row tickets to one heavy make out session.

Throwing punches at that schmuck face of a Travis Tanner was exactly what he needed now, he thought as he stepped into the ring followed by Tanner. "How about we make it a bit more interesting," Tanner continued as he glanced at Donna, "the winner gets to go on a date with the redhead," he added as he pointed at Donna.

Harvey let out deep breath instead of throwing a punch right there, he knew how much Donna hated it if people talked about her like she was a token at a fair. As if people could claim her, but he also knew that if he made a remark on that he would be doing exactly that. He figured Donna could save herself in these kind of situations and she could as she laughed at Tanners suggestion. "Please, you wouldn't be able to handle me," she commented as she took Max in her arms.

Tanner looked at the redhead and smirked at the sight in front of him, finally realising what he was actually witnessing here. "The two of you got a dog?" he mocked as he walked around Harvey with his hands in defence position waiting for Harvey to throw the first punch. But nothing happened. "So it is really like that between the two of you," he continued, this time his comment did result in a punch from Harvey.

And another one that he landed in his face, but Tanner just laughed knowing that his assumptions were likely to be true. Tanner punched back, he could see the worried face that Donna made the moment Harvey got hit by Tanner. "You're not going to tell me you're actually married, are you?" Tanner provoked again, resulting in another punch from Harvey.

.

Donna touched the bruise above his eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked as they walked back towards the apartment, dragged forth by Max who was a little too excited to be outside again. Harvey nodded as he tried to pull Max back a little, giving Donna a smile to let her know that he meant it. The electricity released by her touch may have been worse than a bunch of punches from Tanner.

"Good," she said, "so where are you taking me?"

 _On the table, the couch, here if you'd let me._ His mind wandered off. _Did she really just say that or did that punch by Tanner do something to my brain._ "Harv?" Donna asked as she gave him a little push with her shoulder.

"Uh, what, " Harvey mumbled as he realised he hadn't answered her question, but wasn't sure what it had been in the first place. "You won," she continued as she stopped walking, "and the winner got to go on a date with me," she added. "That's right," Harvey answered as he turned towards her and pulled the lease one more time to stop Max from walking.

"So," Donna continued questioning as she looked up at him. Seeing that same sparkle in his eyes that she had nearly drowned in only half an hour ago. "I won," Harvey smirked as he leaned towards her. "That means you've got to take me out on a date," he whispered his lips almost touching hers.

Donna moved her head towards his ear leaning in even more as her hand rested on his chest. Her lips nearly touching his cheek, "where would you like to go?" she asked before she moved back again facing him. Harvey brought his hand to his chin pretending to be thinking about where he wanted to go, but there were only a few places that he considered to be an option for them.

"I'll have to get back to you on that," he answered as he was turned around again by Max who was jumping in front of him. Harvey frowned at the dog, this was the umpteenth time today someone had interrupted a moment between him and Donna, but he couldn't stay mad at the pup who was trying to climb his leg and kept staring at him.

.

"Are you sure you are alright?" she asked for the second time that day as she watched Harvey's face cringe while reaching for his shoulder. Donna looked at the pup in her hands, giving him a warning look. If she hadn't known about his shoulder, she would have probably laughed at the entire event too.

A grown man getting almost pulled to the ground by a sudden yank on the leash by a Labrador pup. The fact that Max actually escaped as he was chasing something and Harvey running after him, made the situation even more funny. But she knew how much he was hurting; his ego probably more than his shoulder.

Harvey nodded. "I'm just going to lay down for a minute," he mumbled as he walked over to his bedroom and let himself fall down on the middle of the bed. Donna put Max on the ground and followed Harvey. She crawled on the bed and seated herself next to him. She placed her left hand on his chest giving him an understanding smile. She knew he was actually in pain, but he would never admit it to her.

Her fingers trailed down his torso until she tugged on the edge of the fabric. He felt her fingers linger dangerously low on his body "What are you doing," he mumbled as he got up and leaned on one elbow. "Get up," she ordered as she pulled his t-shirt over his head revealing his muscled torso.

Her fingers remaining on his biceps for a couple of second before they trailed towards his shoulder, softly massaging them. "Turn around," she whispered and Harvey just did what he was told as he lay down on his stomach with his hands under his head. Donna adjusted herself a little and continued with the massage, burying her fingers in his skin.

The touches becoming softer and longer by the minute. Harvey nearly moaned in his pillow as her fingers trailed down his arm again and he could feel her soft lips pressing a kiss on his shoulder, leaving a burning mark. He could even see her smile from the corner of his eye as she did so.

All of a sudden Harvey grabbed her left hand and pulled it in front of him, making her body rest on his, their faces only an inch apart. Donna swallowed and stared in his eyes as she could feel his breath against her skin. She opened her mouth a little, wanting to kiss him. Wanting to be kissed, but before she could act she found herself laying on the duvet with Harvey hovering above her.

Their fingers intertwined as he had her hand pinned above her head. Harvey took in her hazel eyes, her soft lips and the slight blush on her cheeks. He didn't know where this would lead them, but he wanted her. All of her. Now.

He lowered his body and his lips crashed on hers. They were soft and tasted like vanilla and cinnamon just like he remembered. He released her hands as he sucked on her lip waiting for her to give him access. Donna gave in to him as she played with his hair, their lips and tongues fighting a battle of their own as Harvey's hand trailed down her curves.

She pulled him even closer, making her moan as she could feel his arousal. She buried her hands in his back as she threw her head back, making Harvey switch to placing kisses in the crook of her neck. His hands travelled under her shirt as he was now tracing the edge of the neckline of her shirt with his lips.

Donna opened her eyes, suddenly frightened of what was about to happen.

"Harvey, wait," she mumbled.


	18. Chapter 18 - Picnic In The Park

**Thanks for all the reviews, love reading them. Sorry it took this long to update and sorry for stopping last chapter at that particular moment. But we're picking up where I left it, and I think you all know where that's going. So you have been warned. Enjoy, I think we all need the fluff we're not getting on the show. Love to hear what you think/ your comments :)**

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 **Chapter 18 – Picnic in the Park**

Harvey's head shot up at hearing those words, immediately stopping with kissing her. He rolled on his side letting out a breath. He looked at her, unable to speak. _She initiated this, didn't she? She started with the massage, with the kiss on my shoulder._

The confusion on his face mirrored in hers. Donna let out a small sigh. Angry at herself, not really sure why she stopped this, but she just stared at him for a second before she got out of the bed and walked towards the door.

"Donna," Harvey mumbled as he followed her. The touch of his hand on her arm sending another shiver down her spine. Donna slowly turned towards him, her skin burning under the touch of his hand. Her eyes meeting his deep brown eyes again, seeing the same burning desire in them as she felt inside, but besides that she saw more. A mixture of angst and something else. A look she had never seen before but intrigued her.

It made her drown in his eyes all over again, it pulled her closer. Like a magnet she was drawn to him. Her right arm wrapped around his neck pressing her body against his bare torso, her lips pressing against his again. Harvey instantly answered her kiss as his hands travelled down her back lifting her up at her thighs.

Wrapping her legs around him as Harvey pressed Donna against the wall next to the door post. The impact of the cold wall against her shoulder blades making Donna pull back for a second before she kissed him again. A bit slower this time, exploring every millimetre of each other's mouth, while Harvey's hand caressed her legs.

His hands moved over her bottom towards her waist. Harvey lifted her shirt, breaking their kiss once again as Donna lifted her arms to let him remove her shirt. He stared at the red lace bra for a couple of seconds before he felt her hands on his shoulders again, he lifted his gaze and met her eye once more. He couldn't help but notice the smile forming on her lips as he was drawing patterns between the freckles on her skin just below her bra.

"Are you sure?" he asked as his fingers lingered under the cup of her bra, a small nod making him move his hand up and cup her breast in his hand. He could feel her nipple through the fabric in the palm of his hand as she cupped his face again, sucking on his bottom lip, pressing her chest against his bare torso.

"Bed. Now," Donna whispered on his lips. Her words had barely left her mouth before Harvey had lifted her again, undoing the clip of her bra on his way to the bed. He lay her down on the duvet, removing the piece of red fabric between them as his lips were still attached to hers.

He broke their kiss for a second to take in the view in front of him. Exactly as he remembered, exactly as the dreams that had been teasing him every once in a while. More often than he'd like to admit, especially this last week, but nothing was better than the actual version right in front of him.

He continued placing kissed down her body from her lips to the hills in front of him, down her stomach and he stopped just above her panty line. His hands taking over from there, noticing how wet she already was turning him on even more. He removed her panties, his hands immediately travelling up her legs again, followed by his lips, making her arch her back and making her moan his name.

Harvey hovered above her again, his lips meeting hers again. Donna's hand trailed down his back and played with the elastic band of his boxers as she could feel him growing against her. Her hand slid down his boxers and she squeezed his butt, making Harvey laugh at her action, but all he could see was a devilish grin on her face as she bit her lip.

Her hands now moved to the front as the smile on her face only grew. She dragged down his boxers with her other hand before she pulled him closer. Her back aching again as he thrusted inside her while pressing his lips against her neck.

.

Harvey let himself fall next to Donna, both heavily breathing. He watched his chest going up and down as he let out a breath. That was the best sex he had ever had, by far. He always wondered if it was a coincidence that the other time had felt so good, because it was breaking the rules. Something he only got to enjoy once. He wondered if he had execrated it in his head, but on the contrary. It had been that good back then because it had been with Donna. He realised that now, a smile forming on his face as he glared at Donna besides him. "OMG!" Donna mumbled in between breaths, "that was … that was –"

"Amazing?" he teased her, "on another level? Out of this world?" Donna laughed, it was all of the above, but she wasn't going to admit that so easily. "You better be describing me," she smirked at him. "You were quite good yourself."

"Quite good?" he repeated, "if I'm not mistaken, and I rarely am, you alternated 'ooh, Harvey' and 'ooh, God' quite often," he bragged. Donna smiled and shook her head slightly. "Mr. Specter," she started to tease him, her hand on his chest, "you were better than –" _Ever._ Better than she remembered, better than Stephen or any other man she had been with.

"A new Marni handbag?" he cut her off, before she would say another man's name, not that she would say it out loud, but he didn't want to take that risk and let it ruin the moment. His comparison resulting in a questioning look from Donna. "Five inch heels?" he continued as he realised his suggestions came out of nowhere, "Duck l'Orange?" he continued.

"Ooh," Donna mumbled, now causing Harvey to frown at her. "I'm hungry," she continued explaining making Harvey's frown turn in a smirk. "Food. For food," Donna added innocently, her fingers tapping against his chest.

Harvey smiled and turned on his left side before he hovered above her once again, but this time he just reached for his phone on the other side of the bed. "Yes, the usual please," Harvey answered, "and make it fast." Donna inspected his face as he hung up the phone. "The usual?" she questioned as she looked up at him. Harvey smiled at her. "You'll see," he answered as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

He rolled himself out of bed and put his boxers and shirt back on. Harvey turned around in his door opening and looked at the redhead in his sheets. He had to hold himself from turning around again and jumping in bed next to her, the doorbell reminding him of why he was even out of the damn thing. Food, Donna wanted food. "Are you coming, or what?" he asked before he continued towards his door.

Harvey turned around again with the bag of Thai food in his hand, only to find Donna on his couch this time. In nothing but his sheets. He loved how beautiful she still looked, even though her hair was all over the place. Maybe that made her even more beautiful, that and the fact that she wasn't wearing those designer dresses. This was just her.

Harvey let himself fall down on the other side of the couch as he handed her a box of chicken noodles. Her favourite. Donna smiled at him as she accepted the box, "this is the usual?" she asked. Harvey just nodded as he tried to hold a piece of beef between his two chopsticks.

"How?' she asked him as she watched him struggle with the sticks, something he still found difficult even after all these years of dinner together. "These are the exact two dishes you picked out the first time you convinced me to order from that shitty place, and it has been the same ever since," he answered, "so yes. The usual. I only order food there when I'm having dinner with you."

Donna's smile grew with his explanation, this wasn't just talking about food. This was something else, more. She leaned forward and picked a piece of beef from this box with her chopsticks. "How do you do that?" he asked as he watched her eat his dinner, he extended his chopsticks towards her but Donna blocked his hand and shook her head.

"Uhu, this is mine," she teased him as she got another piece of chicken from her box and held it in between them. "If you want it, you come and get it," she smirked. Harvey grabbed her legs and dragged her towards him, placing her legs over his lap and giving her his signature smirk. Donna held the piece of chicken in front of him and waiting for him to open his mouth so she could feet him.

"Delicious," he mumbled as his hand caressed her leg that was laying on top of him. "The food or me?" she teased him as she pointed at his hands pushing the sheets aside revealing a bare leg. "Let's see," he answered as he signalled her to come closer and waited for her to do so. He extended his index finger and removed the bit of sauce that rested in the corner of her mouth, before he licked his finger.

"Ooh the food," he answered, "I was definitely talking about the food." Donna smirked at him. "Were you?" she teased him as she removed the box from his hand and climbed on his lap, her hands going over his torso pulling his shirt over his head. "We'll see about that," she whispered before she kissed him again.

.

Harvey watched and smiled at the redhead who was curled up beside him, already asleep. He gently removed the hair from her face, trying not to wake her up. He caressed her head. "I would," he whispered, "if you'd ask me, I would." He placed a kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arm around her before he fell asleep.

.

Donna stared at the ceiling of Harvey's bedroom. Harvey was lying beside her, also awake. But neither of them spoke, not sure what had exactly changed. Last night had been long overdue, but Donna wasn't sure on what it exactly meant between them or what it had meant for Harvey. Or if it was just the result of the two of them living together. Either way, she decided to assume the worst in order to protect herself.

"Harvey," she mumbled making Harvey turn his head towards her. "Last night was a –"

"No, it wasn't," Harvey cut her off before she could say the words he feared, "and I'm pausing this subject." Donna let out a sigh. "Harvey, you and I both know we need to talk –"

"Pause," Harvey repeated as he placed his finger on her lips. The touch of his skin making Donna forget what she was about to say. "I know," he continued as he leaned on his left shoulder towards her, "but we have another thirty seven hours of no fighting left," he paused to place a kiss on the soft spot at the bottom of her collar bone, "and right now all I want to do is this," he said as his lips travelled up her neck.

He decided to stick with that and not pressure her even further, in case she really didn't want it. But before he could complete his thoughts, Donna had already managed to flip him around and was sitting on top of him. His kisses making her decide that another thirty something hours before they would talk about whatever was going on and going to happen couldn't do any more harm.

She could feel the heat radiating from his torso as her hands caressed his chest, the smile on his face making her heart melt all over again. That smile on those lips, those lips that she needed to taste right now as she leaned towards him and kissed him slowly.

.

Donna let herself fall next to Harvey, her body still shaking a bit making her gasp for air. _Wow._ Maybe it was even better than last night, maybe it was perfection. And it was. _Perfect._ She opened he mouth to tell him just that, "P –"

Just hearing the letter P at this moment made Harvey's head pop up, he knew there were a lot of words starting with that particular letter, but there had been one word both of them had used a lot this past week and he didn't want to hear it now.

"No," he cut her off, "you're not getting to pause this," he objected as he turned towards her and kissed her as his hand caressed her breast. "If anything, we're hitting replay," he whispered before his lips trailed down her neck and kissed the spot between her breasts, making her moan again.

.

Donna wrapped the towel around her body and stepped out of the shower. She stared in the mirror as she discovered the hickey in her neck. _Harvey, seriously?_ Thank god she always had her hair hang loose at work, which would cover the spot otherwise Rachel would point it out in mere seconds. She covered it with some foundation for now, before she got dressed and walked towards the kitchen where she found Harvey.

She stared at him for a couple of seconds, he was wearing a blue cardigan she had once given him for Christmas and he was packing a bag. "Hey," she said softly as she stepped towards him. Harvey looked up and smiled at her as he closed the bag that was on the kitchen counter in front of him.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she pointed at the bag. "We," Harvey started as he let his arm rest on her shoulders, "are going to the park." She looked up to him, questioning his face. "The park?" she repeated. Harvey placed a kiss on her forehead and turned her around as he grabbed the bag pack. "Yes, the park. We're going to walk Max and I've prepared some food for a picnic."

Donna turned her head towards him while she held his arm that was still resting on her shoulder. "Wow," she mumbled, "this almost sounds like –"

"A date," Harvey completed her sentence before he called Max. "That was my prize. I figured I better plan it myself or I could wait forever to get my reward." Donna laughed as she stepped out of Harvey's embrace and grabbed Max's leash, "you got your reward already," she teased him, "more than once."

.

Mike walked through the park as he spotted a couple in the distance. They were sitting with their back towards Mike and they were having a picnic. For a second he wondered if the two persons in question were Harvey and Donna.

Mike laughed at his own thoughts and decided that it's probably just a coincidence that the woman next to the man was a redhead. _Harvey going to the park for a picnic_ , he laughed again. _That would only happen in another universe,_ Mike thought as he shook his head and continued with his walk to the bagel stand.

.

Harvey handed Donna another sandwich and quietly ate his own as both of them watched Max run around the park chasing some birds. He glanced a look at Donna who looked beautiful in her casual clothing, a smile appeared on his face. Who would have thought they would do something like this, go to the park and have a romantic lunch. _This is romantic, right?_

He lay himself down on the blanket with his hands under his head. Donna finished her sandwich and rolled on her stomach next to Harvey. "Are you tired?" she teased him as she rested her arms and head on his chest.

"It's not like I got much sleep last night," he answered as he closed his eyes, "not that I'm complaining." Donna smirked at his comment, "alright, old man," she teased him again. "I'd like to remind you we're the same age."

"Please," Donna continued, "your eleven months older," she added before she also closed her eyes. Unfortunately not for long as Max ran over and woke both of them up with a loud bark. Donna and Harvey both got up at the sound, only to find the dog running around again.

Harvey wrapped his arm around Donna as he pointed at the two dogs, Max and a Toller pup, playing in front of them. "You better not be picturing us," Donna commented as she saw Max running around with a red furred pup. Harvey laughed. "If I'm picturing us we're doing far more interesting things than running around," he whispered in her ear.

.

Mike took a different route through the park on the way back from the bagel stand and after a couple of minutes a young dog was running around him. At first he didn't think twice about it, but then he looked again. This dog looked a lot like the brown puppy he had seen in Harvey's office the other day, but he couldn't check the name tag as the dog ran back along the path it had come from.

His gaze followed the dog, that's when he saw the couple he had seen earlier, now walking towards him. This time however they were much closer to him and there was no doubt about it. Those two faces he recognized instantly, even though they were still at the beginning of the path.

Mike just stood there for a minute, not sure what to do. If he should walk up to them and say hi or just walk by without saying anything or if he should hide. He chose the last option and quickly looked around, deciding to hide behind the nearest tree to wait for his boss to pass by.

Not that it would have mattered; they probably wouldn't even have noticed him as they only had eyes for each other. It felt so wrong, but Mike couldn't help but look. It was such a foreign sight, but all of a sudden everything made sense. He watched them pass by, Harvey's right arm wrapped around Donna's shoulder. Both smiling, looking more happy then he had ever seen them. He was almost certain he could hear Harvey using the word lovely, just before he saw them kiss.

"Rach," he whispered through his phone, "you won't believe what I just saw."


	19. Chapter 19 - Not Like That

**Thanks everyone for the reviews, I really appreciate it. Pure motivation to keep going. Vacation is almost over, so updates will probably take a bit longer from now on or will be shorter again. Anyway, had to get this out before the midseason finale tonight. Here's the next part, let me know what you think about it.**

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 **Chapter 19 – Not Like That**

Harvey watched Donna walking around her cubicle. She had always managed to get his attention, but now just looking at her made him feel giddy, making him unable to focus on his work. All he could picture was her naked, wrapped in a sheet in his bed.

He watched her turn her head, exposing her neck. Which made things even worse. He let out a sigh and before he even realised he had walked himself over to her cubicle and found himself standing next to her. The woman had no idea what kind of effect she was having on him, now more than ever.

"What can I do for you, Harvey?" Donna asked as she inspected the weird look on his face. "I uh…" he mumbled, he had no idea why he actually walked over. "I was wondering," he continued as he placed his hand on her arm, immediately regretting that move, cause the only thing he could think of right now was asking her for something inappropriate. His body wasn't helping as his hand trailed further and moved to the small of her back, "if you …" his voice slow only now noticing there were a lot of other people within ear shot, "had the Viper Global files?"

Donna tried to hide her smile. "Nice safe. Too bad it's one of Louis's cases," she whispered as she removed his hand from her back, their fingers fighting a battle of their own for a couple of seconds. "and don't even think about returning to your original question."

Harvey let go of her hand and turned to face her; a questioning expression on his face. _Wondering how she knew what he was really going to ask her._ Donna leaned towards him, making sure no one else would be able hear what she was about to say. "You and I both know you were picturing me in your bed just before you walked over here," she whispered. Harvey smirked at her, "about that. Tomorrow –"

"I know," Donna interrupted him as she thought about the whole therapy thing. Today was the last day, the final session and tomorrow, tomorrow they would find themselves against Judge Palermo again. "We should talk about it," she continued, "about everything. All the things we paused."

Harvey swallowed as he went over the list of subjects in his mind. He nodded. "I promised Marcus to return Max after the session with dr. Agard," he told her, "talk over dinner?" Now it was Donna's time to nod at Harvey, not breaking their eye contact.

She didn't even realise how close they were standing until their moment was interrupted by Mike's voice, making Harvey step aside. "Donna did you get it?" Mike asked about the surprise gift for Rachel he had asked Donna to help him with.

Donna smiled at him and handed him the small box. "Picked it up yesterday," she answered. "Did you sleep with it under your pillow?" Mike asked, it wasn't the kind of comment he usually gave to Donna, but he guessed it had something to do with what he had seen yesterday. Just to see if either of the two in front of him would break and confirm what he assumed.

"How I sleep is none of your concern," Donna shot back frowning at Mike, her reaction making Harvey snort. "Or yours," she added as she focussed her gaze on Harvey. Harvey took it as his cue to leave and directed Mike towards his office. "Neither is the Yankees batting order," he countered as he turned around in the door opening, "but that doesn't stop me from thinking about it."

.

Mike looked back and forth between his boss and the redhead at the desk he had just left. "Okay, what was that?" he asked, referring to the last comment by Harvey and the way he had seen them standing there. "What?" Harvey repeated, trying to sound like he had no idea what Mike meant.

"Ooh come on," Mike shot back, "you can drop the act. The two of you are clearly –"

"No, Mike," she heard his voice through the intercom. "You're mistaken. It's not like that." Donna dropped the pen she had been holding. His last five words forming a knot in her stomach, a confirmation of how she had interpreted it all wrong. Her worst fear becoming reality. It wasn't like that between them. Was that what he tried to say when he commented on her remark about him picturing her in his bed. About that … was that him trying to say that it was over now? That it had been fun while it lasted, but it was just because they had lived together? Donna swallowed, unable to breath. She needed to get out of here. Now.

"Bullshit it's not like that," Mike shot back, "the two of you are happily married. Don't even bother denying it," the young lawyer spoke. "No, Mike," Harvey hissed. "I saw the two of you in the park yesterday," Mike fired back, "so cut the crap and tell me what's going on."

Harvey let his head fall down. "Fine," he mumbled, figuring if Mike had witnessed them yesterday there was no bother denying it. "What you saw," Harvey went on, "has nothing to do with the marriage thing." Mike shook his head, confused. He let himself fall in one of the chairs across Harvey's desk and waited for the older man to elaborate further.

"It thought Rachel had already told you, but I guess not. Donna and I got married nine years ago, but it wasn't for the reason you're getting married with Rachel. I wanted to buy my current apartment, but the developer only wanted to sell it married couples. We got married so I could buy it," Harvey explained.

Mike was still confused. "But the two of you are still married?" Harvey sighed, "Yes. That's correct. I was supposed to annul our wedding, but I had forgotten about it. Donna recently found out and we tried to annul it now, but that request got turned down."

Mike turned his head towards Harvey. "So the two of you are getting a divorce? But that doesn't add up, I saw the two of you." Harvey nodded, "Yes, we are … or were trying to get a divorce. We haven't discussed it yet. What you saw, that was … is a more recent development, so to say." Mike raised his eyebrow, "I don't understand. How do you go from getting a divorce to holding hands and kissing in the park?"

"Therapy," Harvey mumbled, "we were ordered to follow couples therapy," he raised his shoulders realising how weird it all must sound. "The therapist made us live together for a week, that's why Donna threw that dinner party at my place, that's why you saw Max here at the office." Harvey paused for a second, "and after a week, well after twelve years of ignoring it, it just happened."

"So are the two of you together now?" Mike asked, trying to hide his smile. "I don't know, Mike," Harvey answered, and it was the truth. They were together in some way, but they had paused every conversation that had led to that very subject and he knew they needed to talk about them, before something happened again. Before tomorrow.

"Maybe, I hope so," he mumbled. "Hope so," Mike repeated, "Harvey does this mean you're in love –"

"Yes," Harvey heard himself confess as he nodded. It was the first time he had admitted out loud, but it had been the truth for some while now. He loved Donna, he was in love with Donna.

.

Harvey stared out of his office for the umpteenth time that day, he noticed Donna still wasn't there. He had noticed her walking away just after Mike had come to his office, probably to make those copies he had asked for earlier. He was secretly glad she hadn't been there when Mike grilled him about her, when he confessed he loved her.

If he was going to tell her, and he had thought about doing so, it wouldn't be in the office. Let alone over the intercom. It had now been an hour since Mike left his office again and Donna still wasn't there, which made him curious.

He noticed that her computer was still turned on, so she must be at the office. But when he looked to his right he noticed a stack of papers on his desk that hadn't been there in the morning. The copies he had asked her to make, the copies he assumed she was still busy making. _If she wasn't doing that then were could she be?_

.

Donna walked through the hall way of his apartment building when she spotted a young blonde coming out of his apartment. The woman smiled at her and even greeted her, but Donna just had this weird feeling in her stomach that only got worse at the sight in front of her.

 _Was that why he had needed to stay at his apartment a bit longer that morning? Because he had other plans?_ Donna's mind when on over drive imagining every bad scenario there was, that she didn't notice the woman was wearing a housekeepers uniform. _How could she have thought he had changed?_

She also didn't notice how the bed and bathroom had been cleaned. How the kitchen was shining, how the floor seemed to reflect like a mirror. Maybe it were the two wine glasses that were still left on the coffee table, that didn't make her see it, but mostly it was what she thought she had seen and heard that made her storm towards the bedroom and pack her suitcase.

.

Harvey was still wondering as to where his favourite redhead could be. He found himself walking over to her desk without realising it for the second time that day. But as he leaned on the edge of her desk, he noticed how her purse was already missing. He tried not to think too much of it, they had agreed to meet over dinner and if he remembered correctly his meeting with dr. Agard was after hers.

.

After his final session with dr. Agard, Harvey entered his apartment, a sudden chill shivering over him. He looked around, but she wasn't there. He recalled asking dr. Agard if she had already spoken to Donna, but she had told him she had needed to switch two appointments and that Donna was supposed to be there in half an hour. He tried to calm himself down, although he felt something was off.

He spotted the yellow post-it on the breakfast bar. **'Already fed Max'** was what it read. He reminded himself that he was supposed to bring Max back to Marcus, but he didn't want to leave the apartment. He needed to talk to her. Instead he texted his younger brother that something had come up and that he would drop off Max first thing tomorrow morning, before he started with dinner.

Figuring he might as well prepare it before Donna returned. An hour later Donna still hadn't shown up and he tried to call her, but it went straight to voice mail. Another half hour and two phone calls later he found himself staring at the two, in the meantime turned cold, plates of food in front of him.

Reluctantly he ate his own, before he called her once more. He looked around his apartment again, she really was nowhere to be found. Nor her stuff he realised now, the two wine glasses on the coffee table a last reminder of the past weekend. He wondered if he should go to her place, but if she wasn't answering his calls she surely wouldn't open the door for him.

.

The next morning Harvey walked over to his kitchen letting out a yawn. He hadn't been able to sleep, he had felt lost in his own bed. As if it was too big for just him. He had felt cold, as if a blanket wasn't enough to keep him warm. His pillows still smelled like her, and every time he closed his eyes he pictured her next to him. Her auburn locks draped over his crispy white sheets.

The memories of her next to him aching more than he'd like to admit. He had tried to stay awake all night, to prevent him from the feeling of his heart breaking every time he woke up again realizing she wasn't there.

Harvey poured himself a cup of coffee, but it didn't taste the way it should. Not the same when she would have made it. He opened the drawer reaching for a spoon, but the only thing that caught his eye was the can opener. It lay there as if it was staring back at him, mocking the situation.

.

Harvey walked into the courtroom and saw that Donna was already present in the room. He sighed and wondered what had went wrong. They had been talking at the firm, made plans for dinner and all of sudden she had left. Not only disappeared from the firm, also from his apartment. She was nowhere to be seen, the same was true for her stuff. Like she had never lived there or even been there in the first place.

He had wanted to talk to her about what was going to happen next, what he had wanted to happen next. If he had to be honest he was going to ask her to stay, even if it scared him to his core. Instead they didn't get to talk and he got the exact opposite of what he had wanted. Donna walking away.

Harvey took in her face, an expression he couldn't place at the moment. He also knew that at the start of the week they had agreed to proceed with the original plan, get the divorce no matter what happened. But that was another one of those things he had wanted to talk to her about, ask her if they could rethink this divorce thing. He knew it was what she needed, but maybe if he had actually offered her what he had tried to offer her a week ago and had told her again only a couple of nights ago.

He took another two steps forward, a knot forming in his stomach at the fact that this time he found himself in a courtroom without doing the ritual and he was up against Donna. She had already turned her head around. She hadn't even acknowledged him, she hadn't smiled at him. Harvey glanced at her one more time before he took his place.

"Mr. Specter, nice of you to join us today," Judge Palermo commented on the fact that Harvey was a couple of minutes late. "Sorry, your honour," he answered. "So we're here to continue with the divorce procedure, is that correct Mrs. Specter?" the judge continued.

Donna swallowed and nodded before she lowered her head. The fact that she was called Mrs. Specter wasn't helping with how she was feeling at the moment. "All right," Nicholas continued, "both of you have followed the assigned therapy by dr. Agard and I assume each of you has confided her in your final decision on this matter, is that correct?"

Both Harvey and Donna nodded at judge Palermo. "Then I'd like to ask dr. Agard on her recommendations on the matter." Paula got up and reached for her notes, summarized the most basic events of her therapy session with both of them. " – although these two weren't married for the most conventional reasons, I've never seen two people that are so compatible and work so well together, as Miss. Paulsen and Mr. Specter," she concluded.

"So what is the conclusion? Dr. Agard has there been an unanimous decision made regarding the divorce?" Nicholas Palermo asked. Harvey looked up to watch Dr. Agard, hoping to read the answer on her face before she said it. He knew he had talked to her about this moment a couple of days ago. She had asked him what he would do, he had told her he would continue with the divorce procedure. Because it was what Donna needed and he needed her to be happy.

Dr. Agard had asked him if it also was what he wanted and she told him to fight for Donna. When she asked him again yesterday, he had told her just that. That he wanted to take their marriage as an opportunity, to try, to fight for Donna. That he didn't want to continue with this, because he wanted to be with Donna.

Dr. Agard sighed and looked at Donna and Harvey, "No," she started, "one of them still wants to continue with the divorce procedure."

Harvey closed his mouth, the words of Paula on replay, his head turning towards Donna. Their eyes locked for a second, he took in the look on her face. She seemed just as surprised as he was. He wondered if he had interpreted everything that had happened between them in the wrong way. He really thought they would have a chance now, he thought she felt the same.

Donna swallowed at the realisation of what Dr. Agard's words meant. She knew the last statement referred to her. She had said that, but that could only mean that Harvey didn't want to get a divorce and what did that mean? What did it mean after she had heard him say that it wasn't like that between the two of them. After she had heard that and seen that blonde girl. She watched him turn his head towards her, she saw the confusion in his eyes the moment they locked with hers. As if they were a mirror of how she felt at the moment. Confused.

"Continuation of the divorce procedure is approved," the dark voice of judge Palermo echoed in the room, making them break their eye contact. The sound of the wooden gravel make Donna shrug and close her eyes. "Let the record show that due to the absence of a prenup, Ms. Paulsen is entitled to half of Mr. Specter's possessions," the voice continued.

"What?! No," Harvey burst out, more directed to the first part of judge Palermo's statement then the fact that Donna was entitled to half of everything he had. He didn't care about that, she could have it all if that meant they got another chance.

Donna's head turned towards Harvey at hearing his outburst, the confusion inside her only growing. She never thought he cared about the money or the stuff, but now it sure looked like it. Donna tried to fight the tears and the knot that was forming in her stomach, the angry look on Harvey's face not helping the situation. Donna couldn't take it anymore, she had to get out of the room. Away from him, from Harvey.

It was the second time Harvey had to watch Donna run out of the courtroom and once again he couldn't do anything about it, because judge Palermo stopped him. "Donna," Harvey mumbled as she passed him, but she didn't seem to hear it above the voice of Nicholas Palermo. The sound of the door fall shut having the same effect on Harvey as the hammer had had on Donna. He shrugged and let his head fall down, he felt defeated. More than ever.

Dr. Agard let out a sigh at the entire situation that just took place in front of her. She had deliberately talked about how they had grown together, how they had realised their feelings towards one another. She wanted to punch Judge Palermo for asking that specific question, knowing that her answer would put an end to all of this.

Just because of some sort of misunderstanding that was obviously at the basis of what had played out here in front of her. She blamed herself, she shouldn't have agreed to clear them for the hearing with judge Palermo, she should have told him she needed one more session. This felt like her failure and she walked over to Harvey, to apologize, to help him. Taking in his devastated expression she placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's not over yet, Harvey," she told him.

Harvey turned his head towards the therapist and let himself fall down in his chair. He stared at the papers in front of him and pushed them towards Paula. "Seems pretty finished to me," he countered. "Harvey," dr. Agard started as she placed her hand on the papers, "these are just the papers. Nothing more." She seated herself next to him, "all that happened today is that the continuation of your divorce procedure is approved, but nothing is final yet. No-one has signed the papers yet," she added, although she figured he knew how it would work law-wise.

Harvey shook his head, "might as well be the case. You saw what happened, you said it yourself. Donna wants this," he continued as he pointed at the papers again. Paula sighed, "Harvey, please listen to me," she started trying to make him look at her. "I know what I said, and I only said it because it is in fact what Donna told me she wanted yesterday, but I honestly never expected her to come to that conclusion. Earlier this week she seemed to realise how she felt about you, she even told me she had been in love with you for a very long time."

Harvey swallowed as he heard those words. _She had been in love with you for a very long time._

"I even think she still is," Paula continued, "and I don't know what happened to make her completely change her mind, cause if I remember correctly we came to the same conclusion regarding your feelings towards her."

"I don't know," Harvey mumbled, "I don't know what went wrong. We were supposed to talk about what was going to happen. About this," he continued as he looked at the papers again, "but all of a sudden she had left, wouldn't answer my calls." Paula looked at her watch, she was already late for her next meeting. "Harvey, I'm sorry I have to leave. But promise me you will talk to her before either of you signs this piece of paper."

.

Harvey entered his apartment, the emptiness of the space feeling even more suffocating than it had been the day before. He wondered how everything could have gone so wrong, just after everything had felt so wright.

He walked towards the photo wall and removed the postcard of Donna from the stand. The card, with the post-it attached to it, was one of the only physical reminders of the fact that Donna had live here with him. That they had lived here together.

He placed the card on the dining table behind him, pulling back one of his new chairs. Another thing that reminded him of her. Harvey sighed and fiercely removed the rolled up divorce papers from the pocket of his coat and by doing so a post-it note fell out of it.

Harvey swallowed at the sight of the small yellow piece of paper. He was sure it had not been attached to the papers judge Palermo had given to him. Harvey thought about the morning he had found his apartment covered with post-it messages, how he had copied that move and they used it as a way of communication between them. The last week more than ever.

Hesitantly he reached for it, wondering why it had been in his coat and how long it had been there. He hadn't used this particular coat for a long time and his mind went on overdrive with all these questions. _Was this a post-it from something he had once put in his pocket a long time ago, or had this been one from Donna. A post-it note he hadn't found before. What would it read?_

He seated himself down and stared at the card and the divorce papers in front of him, not ready to turn the piece of paper around yet. The biggest part of his history with Donna summarized in the two pieces of paper in front of him. One representing everything they once had, how things used to be. The other where they currently stood. Harvey let out another breath before he turned the small piece of paper around.

 **'You're making me fall in love with you all over again.'**

Harvey dropped the post-it note, his hand still shaking from what he had just read. Dr. Agard had been correct about Donna, it couldn't be over yet. Not after everything they went through, not after this past weekend.

He sighed, realising dr. Agard was right and he desperately needed to talk to the woman he loved, but he also knew there was a chance she wouldn't even listen. That she would make him stop, or worse that he would choke on his words once again. And that was something that couldn't happen, not this time. Not now, not when it was most important of all.

Harvey went over all the conversations he had had with dr. Agard the past week, how she had helped him realise what he actually wanted. The advice she had given him, especially the one she had given him the second time he had seen her. When he asked her about how to approach Donna when she wasn't talking to him. _There are other ways of communication._

He also recalled how Donna had changed her mind about the whole therapy thing after he had written her a letter. Maybe that was what he needed to do again. Put his thoughts on paper, just in case he wouldn't be able to pronounce them.

After writing the letter, Harvey reached for the divorce papers and signed them as well. As he explained in his letter, it had to be her choice and he wouldn't hold her back or break his promise. Not this time.

.

Donna stormed through her apartment. She had stopped fighting the tears about an hour ago. There was no use, not anymore. She was so confused as how they had ended up here, her mind recalling everything he had said to her these past days as she continued unpacking her back. She hadn't even done that yesterday.

She went through the clothes, but abruptly stopped as she spotted the t-shirt she had slept in all week. His shirt. _It's not like that,_ she could hear him say to Mike like it was just seconds ago. _What was it like then? And if it wasn't like that then why didn't he want to continue with the divorce._ A tear ran down her face as she threw the shirt towards her bin.

The sight of the queen size bed in front of her suddenly too much to handle. It was too big for one person, she had realised that last night. Although she had been pissed and angry she still missed him. Missed him near her, missed his warmth, his touch. The sound of his voice, his smell. She just missed him already.

She stormed out of her bedroom again. Everything inside of her suitcase reminding her of the week she had spent at his place. She reached for a bottle of wine and basically drowned the first glass. Angry at herself for how things had turned out, she should be happy. She got what she wanted, what she needed. But right now it didn't feel that way.

Donna wiped the tears from her face and took another big sip from her glass of wine. _Time to stop pitying myself,_ she thought, _time to –_ but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a knock on her door. The type of knock she recognized instantly, there was only one person that could be at her door right now.

Donna sighed before she got of her couch and moved towards the door. Practically channelling all the anger inside she opened the door in one force full swing. Eliminating the only barrier between them. She took in his figure, his expression, his eyes. The ones that looked darker than usual, the sparkle gone but mesmerising non the less.

Her gaze lowered to his lips, his signature smirk missing. She waited for him to say something. Anything. A simple 'hey' maybe, but nothing. She took a couple of steps back, throwing her arms in the air. Indicating she didn't know how or what to do. For once she had no clue.

Harvey followed her inside, slowly closing the door behind her. He stared at her for a couple of seconds. Took in her figure, her face. Her eyes were slightly swollen and red, he could tell she had been crying. Harvey exhaled once more, trying to find the courage to tell her what he had been rehearsing on his way over here. "Don – " he mumbled.

"Why are you here?" she shot at him, before he could even completely pronounce her name, resulting in the thing he actually feared. Choking on his words. "Why? Why are you here?" she repeated. "You ran … you ran from the court room," he started, "you ran yesterday. I don't even know why you did that."

"Doesn't matter," she answered as she leaned on the back of her couch. "Of course it matters," Harvey replied confused. "Why? Why does it matter if this isn't what it seems?" she continued moving her hand between them emphasizing the this in her last sentence. Using the words she had heard him say to Mike.

"Isn't what it seems?" Harvey shot back, "what are you talking about?" Donna let her head fall down. Classic Harvey not acknowledging what had happened or what he had said. "That whatever happened between us … is going on between us," Donna paused, "that you don't feel the same about it."

"Donna," Harvey mumbled as he took a step closer towards her, his hand holding onto the papers even more, "today did not turn out the way I expected it to go. The way I wanted it to go," he answered, thinking about how she had wanted to continue with the divorce. "It just felt wrong. Us against each other in court, having to go there without you. Without the ritual. I lost - ."

Donna laughed nervously, "lost," she repeated, "lost half of everything you own," she added, "that's what you mean. Bet that's why you told dr. Agard you didn't want to divorce, because you didn't want to lose," she rattled, throwing every possible explanation she could come up with, the 'it's not like that' in mind, at him.

"No," Harvey exclaimed, "That's bullshit."

"Then why?" Donna asked, "why didn't you want to proceed with the divorce?" Harvey opened his mouth, but choked on the words. Feeling it would all go wrong if he continued talking. He knew that when she was angry she often misinterpreted his words, making him even more nervous and unable to express himself now.

"Please read this," he told her as he handed her the papers and his letter. Donna took over the files, but she didn't take that for an answer. He came over to ask or tell her something, she would make him say it. "Why, Harvey? Give me a reason."

Harvey took a step back and looked up at her. "You know why," he answered. At this moment she wasn't sure of anything. Things had changed and turned so often between them within the last day, she couldn't place her thoughts anymore. She slowly shook her head looking in his eyes again.

"You know I love you, Donna," he whispered.


	20. Chapter 20 - Changes

**Thanks for the reviews! Yes, I will be updating this through the hiatus of the show; wouldn't be able to survive it otherwise. Writing & reading Darvey is what I need. I promise they won't continue to run from each other. They are connected and they will find their way. There are however a lot of hurdles they need to overcome and things to talk about. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy if and would love to hear what you think about it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - Changes**

 _You know I love you, Donna._

Donna repeated the five words in her head. A knot forming in her stomach; she wondered if she did or didn't know this. That he loved her, but either way she never expected him to say it. To actually use that word. In a sentence not related to work or baseball, although those scenarios were even rare. Let alone using that word in a sentence that was directed towards her, a sentence that was about her.

Donna wasn't able to respond, she just stared at him. Watched him slowly turn around and leave her apartment. The door falling shut feeling like a slap in the face. One that woke her up from her thoughts. "Harvey," she mumbled, but she was too late. It took a couple of seconds more before her body started moving. Moving towards the door, the hall way. But he was nowhere to be seen. Donna looked down the stairs, but then again nothing.

She ran back inside to look out of her window, the only thing she saw on the dark street where some taillights driving away. She assumed it to be those of his Lexus, but she wasn't sure. She let her head rest on the cold window, a tear running down her face.

"I love you," she whispered.

.

Donna turned around and put on her Burberry trench coat as she stormed towards the door. Her head felt heavy, her arms, her legs, her entire body shaking. Donna stumbled out of the old brick building, she was gasping for air. Shivering as the cold early autumn air surprised her, like she had forgotten what time of year it was.

She wrapped her trench coat around her body, her hands clinging onto her own arms as she turned around and stared at the façade again. Feeling like the letters of the sign above the entrance where coming towards her, she was still in shock of what had just happened.

She needed to get out of there, out of the building, out of that street. Just away from there, her legs started moving. Walking, in no particular direction, her body just following where-ever her legs were taking her, the words she just heard on repeat in her head.

It was all she could focus on as she tried to avoid to puddles of water on the pavement. The sound of her heals on the sidewalk kept her going, as if in trance she walked along Fifth avenue. Not paying attention to the beautiful colours of the trees or the other people on the street.

She merely stopped for the traffic lights, she just had to continue walking. Not even bothering it had started to rain, her hair loosing it's form and her trench coat getting drenched. It was the sound of a cab honking that made her wake up from her thoughts. That made her immediately stop walking. Stopping so abruptly causing the man behind her to walk into her.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she turned around to face the man, but he didn't reply. He just hissed and walked away, his shoulder bumping into her and making her turn on her feet. Making her stare at the glass façade of the building that had just been on her left side. The building she had ran out from just two days ago, the building she had lived the week before, the building where he lived. _Harvey._

Donna lifted her head. Her auburn locks falling to the back, her face now fully exposed to the rain as she stared at the top floor. _His_ floor, _his apartment._ The reason they got married. Donna let her arms hang loosely along her body.

She could feel the papers, that were in her inner pocket, poking through the fabric in her arm. It were the divorce papers that Harvey had brought her last night. The ones he had given her before he had told her he loved her and walked away.

She had tried to go after him, to call him, but she couldn't. She physically couldn't. Her body in shock of his confession, of hearing those words. She had reached for the papers, her eyes immediately spotted the signature at the bottom of the piece of paper.

 ** _Harvey Reginald Specter._**

His signature this time. Just like she had signed the papers nine years ago. But this time there wasn't just one paper, Donna lifted the divorce paper and spotted his letter. His handwritten letter on which the post-it she had hidden in his coat just a couple of days ago was attached.

 ** _You're making me fall in love with you all over again_** **.**

Donna swallowed, she had been falling in love with him again. She is falling in love with him. She is in love with him.

 ** _I will not be the one holding you back this time, like I did nine years ago. I want you to be happy, I want you to get everything you've ever wanted from life. Even if it won't be with me._**

 ** _You have been making me fall in love with you from the start. Every day, all over again._**

 ** _I love you, Donna._**

 ** _Forever yours,_**

 ** _Harvey_**

The amount of tears falling down had only increased by the time she had finished his letter, explaining how he felt. For a man that didn't do emotions and couldn't pronounce or express them, he sure could put them down on paper.

She had known he was good with words, in court, but she now realised how good he could be. It had been the second time a letter by Harvey had brought her to tears, this one even more than the other. Donna couldn't stop the tears and gave in to them.

Crying, because he gave her what she had needed, the signed divorce papers. He also asked her to never give up on her lifelong dream, to not put her life on hold for him any longer. Because he wanted her to be happy. But Harvey didn't seem to understand _he could do just that_.

.

Harvey leaned back on his black leather couch, taking a sip from his scotch. Not his first glass of that night. He thought about the events of the past days, how everything had seemed to go so well between Donna and him until all of a sudden it had all gone wrong.

How he had gone home, only to find the apartment completely abandoned. No sign of Donna or that she had stayed there the entire week before. How dr. Agard had said one of them still wanted the divorce, how she had stormed out of the court room after that statement. How he wanted to follow but couldn't as judge Palermo stopped him, only being able to call out her name.

How he had gathered all his courage and went over to her apartment. A place he had only been inside twice before. The godawful dinner party and the other time. And this time he had went there armed with the divorce papers.

How he had tried to explain everything to Donna, but she had to accuse him of things that weren't true. How he had shut down, choking on his words. How he had given her his letter instead, asking her to read it. But Donna being Donna, she had demanded an answer. And he had given her one. He had given her the truth.

 _"You know I love you, Donna."_

It was all he could manage to say. A sentence he hoped would explain everything at once. He had wanted to give her some time to process everything, to read his letter. That's why he left, but it stung that she hadn't stopped him non the less. She hadn't even replied. At all. And worse she hadn't shown up at work today.

At first he figured she wasn't there yet, because he was early. An hour later he started wondering on her whereabouts and by the time lunch came around he was worried. He tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail. Either her phone was switched of or she had blocked his number, but he couldn't image the latter to be true. Nor was she at her apartment when Harvey had stopped by that afternoon. He sighed as he let his head fall down on the back of his couch. _This woman is going to be the death of me._

Harvey woke up from the sound of his intercom and as he walked over he saw it was the reception desk calling. "Hello Ed, what's up? I'm not expecting any visitors," he answered as he sighed again. "I know, Mr. Specter," the man at the reception replied as he looked outside at the woman again, "it's just… there's this woman that has been standing outside for some while now."

Ed Marshall didn't know how to put it. The redheaded woman he had seen more than once, Donna he believed to be her name, appeared to be standing on the side walk. She usually wasn't the woman to wait outside or even wait for him to call to the apartment he knew she was visiting.

She was the kind of woman that just walked inside, acted like she owned the place. It was the same woman he had seen her storm out of the building just two days ago. She had been looking mad as hell, telling him to not inform Harvey about what she had done.

Harvey turned around to look outside, it was pouring. "Who did you say was outside?" he asked. "Miss Paulsen, sir. She's been standing there for at least fifteen minutes. I'm sorry I didn't notice –" Harvey's heart dropped at the mentioning of her name. Donna. Donna was here. Outside his building, in the rain.

"Would you like me to send her upstairs?" Mr. Marshall asked as he looked at the woman outside again. He noticed how she was still staring at the sky, she definitely hadn't moved an inch. "Sir, would you –" he repeated again as he realised he hadn't heard an answer from Harvey over the phone. But there wasn't any answer coming from the penthouse.

Ed looked at the footage of the security camera's on the hallway at the top floor. He saw Harvey getting out of his apartment walking towards the elevator. Ed observed the woman outside again and decided to get her into the lobby before Mr. Specter was downstairs. He grabbed his coat and stepped outside. He slowly approached her. "Miss Paulsen, would you like to come inside?" Ed asked, but Donna didn't respond. She didn't move or even acknowledge the fact someone was talking to her.

Ed was about to step closer towards Donna as Harvey ran outside and stopped just in front of Donna. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. Happy he saw Donna, that she was there, but also from anxiety as she didn't seem to respond. Not to Ed who was still talking to her, not to him as stood in front of her. He knew she had to know he was there, she usually sensed his presence from miles away. Harvey stepped closer towards Donna, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Donna?" he mumbled as he gently shook her shoulders.

Donna let her head fall down slowly, her eyes along with it. She stared at the floor, at their feet. It was all she could see through her lashes. Harvey brought his right hand to her chin and gently lifted her head, making Donna slowly open her eyes. Her bottom lip was trembling, she was unable to speak. All she could do was look at him.

Harvey noticed her red eyes and swallowed at the realisation she had been crying. He switched his gaze to his right at the speechless Ed, who was just standing there awkwardly. "It's alright, Ed. You can go inside," he mumbled.

As the old man walked back, Harvey turned to face Donna again. She was just staring at him, and although his clothes were getting soaked as well he didn't mind or even notice as all he could do was look at her. She still hadn't moved or spoken; it was as if she was frozen. "Let's go inside," Harvey tried as he pulled her arm and took a step towards the door.

As if she was hypnotised she stepped forwards as well. Harvey put his arm around her and supported her towards the elevator. He couldn't help but think about how different this elevator ride was from the last time they stood in it together. Last Sunday.

After the park, both of them unable to let go of the other. They had been getting under each other's skin all afternoon, but unable to do anything about it in public. But the moment they stepped in the elevator, this elevator, their lips had crashed on each other's again. Not being able to wait until they reached his apartment, she had already removed his shirt and he had lifted her up and carried her through the hallway, never breaking their kiss.

.

Back in his apartment Harvey stood in front of Donna who still hadn't said anything to him. "Donna, what happened?" he asked as he took a step closer and undid the buttons of her coat, but as expected the redhead didn't answer.

She just stared in the distance, as if she was scared to death. Harvey had never seen Donna like this before. He had seen her scared and angry after what had happened with Coastal Motors and Stephen Huntly, but not like this and it scared him to his core. He hated seeing Donna being upset, he could only wonder what had happened. He cupped her face and made her look him in the eye. "Has someone assaulted you?" he whispered, fearing the worst.

Donna looked at him and his words resonated in her head, mixed with the words of the older blonde woman from earlier that afternoon. She could see how concerned he was and she shook her head to let him know that was not the case. No, that was not what had happened, but she still couldn't bring it to words.

Harvey let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw her shaking no. His hands released her face and wrapped around her. Pulling her in a hug, pressing her body against his. That's when he finally noticed both of them were soaking wet and that she felt extremely cold. Hypothermic even maybe.

He freed her from his embrace and removed her beige trench coat from her arms. Letting it drop to the floor. "Let's get you warmed up," he continued as he took her hand and guided her towards the bathroom. Harvey let her lean against the sink as he reached for the tab in the shower and turned it on.

He kneeled on the floor in front of her and took her leg in his hand as he took off her shoes, making her shrink four inches. Harvey got back up, now hovering above her as he whispered, "turn around," in her ear.

Donna obeyed at his request and stared at the reflection of her helpless self in the mirror with Harvey behind her. He noticed she was looking at him in the mirror and gave her a slim smile.

A smile to let her know everything was going to be alright as he undid the zipper of her dress and moved the straps over her shoulders. He gently pulled the dress down and helped her step out of the pile of fabric. He couldn't help but steel a glance at her in the mirror, showing her light skin in a pink bra and undies.

He swallowed and tried to fight the memories of a couple of nights ago as he placed her under the shower. Donna felt the warm water of the shower flowing over her head and onto her shoulders, but she still felt cold. It wasn't the warmth of a shower she needed and although she had already been leaning against the tiled bathroom wall, her knees still felt week and she let herself slide down. Sitting down in the shower basin, her arms wrapped around her knees as she let her head rest on top of her arms.

Harvey noticed Donna sitting down and her move made him worry even more. Something must have happened and he felt helpless because he didn't know what it was or how he could fix it. That's when he remembered the last time she had been scared and how she had asked if he could just be there for her. He realised that might be the only thing he could do for her now.

Harvey took off his shirt and suit pants and seated himself on the floor next to Donna. He lifted her head and removed her hair from her face. "It's alright, Donna. I'm here," he whispered as he wrapped his left arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. He caressed her arm to comfort her as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. He could feel her body trying to relax, even if it was just a bit.

When he noticed her body had finally returned to a normal temperature, he pulled her back up. "Just wait a minute," he said as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around him before he left the bathroom. Harvey came back in his sweat pants and placed another one of his old Harvard shirts and a pair of boxers she had worn earlier that week on the counter.

He pulled the robe from the hanger and walked towards the shower again. He leaned in and turned off the tab, grabbing her arm. Placing the robe over her shoulders after he had pulled her out of the shower. He swallowed yet again at the sight in front of him. It felt so wrong and inappropriate at the moment but he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked.

"You should change into something warmer," he continued as he pointed at her and back at the clothes on the counter, "and then try to sleep a bit." Donna nodded as he walked out of the bathroom. While Harvey put on a white t-shirt and walked over to his living room to take care of her coat, Donna changed into his boxers and a t-shirt just like the one she had at home. One she had tried to throw away after nine years, but pulled out of the bin an hour later. She just couldn't.

When Harvey heard the bathroom door open again he walked back towards Donna and extended her a hand as he helped her in his bed. "Just try to relax, alright," he whispered to Donna as he moved the duvet over her. He placed a kiss on her cheek before he turned around and walked away.

"Harvey," she mumbled, making him turn around at the sound of her voice. "Stay, please?" she asked. Harvey looked at her, the slightest of a smile appearing on his lips as he walked around his bed and crawled into it next to her. Harvey pulled her closer and wrapped his right arm around her, he could feel her body starting to relax even more.

He placed a kiss on the top of her head as he moved his hands through her auburn locks. "It's alright," he whispered as Donna had turned around in his arms, her head now on his chest. He caressed her cheek and placed a kiss on her forehead. "It's alright," he whispered again as continued to hold her.

.

"Harvey," Donna mumbled half an hour later as she moved her head a bit. Harvey looked into her eyes, the scared look back in them. "It's okay, you can tell me," he said giving her an encouraging smile. Donna closed her eyes for a second and swallowed before she looked at him again.

"Harvey, I'm pregnant."


	21. Chapter 21 - Pieces of paper

**Wow, wow, wow. Thanks for all the support and reviews. Especially to those who keep coming back to review, whether you are logged on or as a guest. THANKS! I really appreciate it. Happy you all responded so positively to that cliff hanger.**

 **Hahaha, Lisamichelle17 glad you notices *wink***

 **Onlyxcareless. He was referring to the conversation they had after he had found the papers of the potential donors. When he told her she could have asked him, so yes that's what he was referring to.**

 **At Lafantomette & the guest who are worried about how she could already know.. you will find out in this chapter. **

**Anyway, here's the next part. Enjoy and love to read your reviews :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 21 – Pieces of Paper**

"Harvey, I'm pregnant," she whispered then, her eyes immediately avoided his again. Waiting for him to respond, but he didn't. She felt his body go rigid. His hand directly stopped caressing her head, his fingers remaining in her hair. She listened to his regular but heavy breaths as her head moved up and down with his chest.

.

 ***24 hours ago***

She looked at him them and she's tired of fighting. Tired of fighting the feelings, she just can't any more. Tired of being the only one fighting for them. Maybe even physically tired of the situation between them. She searched his face for some sort of expression of hope, of something indicating that she's missing something.

She did see a look on his face, a look she couldn't place anymore. Maybe it was fear; maybe it was hope. Either way she needed to know and she wouldn't let him get away with a simple answer. Not like she had let him all these other times. She wanted answers. She needed answers.

"Why, Harvey?" she asked, "Give me a reason," she added, sounding more aggressive than she had intended.

Harvey took a step back and looked up at her. "You know why," he answered.

At this moment she wasn't sure of anything. Things had changed and turned so often between them within the last day, she couldn't place her thoughts anymore. She slowly shook her head looking in his eyes again, waiting for him to elaborate on his statement.

"You know I love you, Donna," he whispered.

Donna repeated the five little, but oh so important words in her head. _You know I love you, Donna._ A knot forming in her stomach, she wondered if she did or didn't know this. That he loved her. She always hoped it, but either way she never expected him to say it. To actually use that word. _Love._ Let alone using that word in a sentence that was directed towards her. A sentence that was about her.

Donna wasn't able to respond, she just stared at him. Her lips slightly parted, her eyebrows raised, watching him slowly turn around and leave her apartment. The door falling shut feeling like a slap in the face.

BAM.

One that woke her up from her thoughts, literally gasping for air as she still stood frozen on her spot. "Harvey," she mumbled then, but it was too late. It took a couple of seconds more before her body started moving. Moving towards the door, the hall way. She looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. She ran back inside to look out of her window; the only thing she saw on the dark street were some taillights driving away. She assumed it to be those of his Lexus, but she wasn't sure. She let her head rest on the cold window, a tear running down her face.

"I love you," she whispered, the knot in her stomach only becoming worse. A wave of nausea hitting her at the realisation that the man she loved just walked out of her life. Physically feeling sick by being unable to tell Harvey what she had wanted to say to him at that moment. To respond to those words.

Tears streamed down her face as she tried to reach for her phone, her arms and chest aching. She tried to call him, she really wanted to call him, but she couldn't. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to dial his number. After a couple of minutes of simply staring at her cell phone, she was out of tears. But the hurt she felt was still there. She dragged herself to her bed, now feeling more tired than ever. But the sleep didn't come easily. She lay awake for hours, alone in a bed that felt too big to just be hers. To duvet not warm enough to comfort her.

.

The next morning Donna stumbled out of her bed. She still felt nauseous, her chest hurting. She figured it to be her broken heart. She moved towards her living room, one of the possible conditions of her current feeling staring at her. A nearly empty bottle of red wine. Maybe she hand a hangover.

She hesitated if she should take the last bit of wine now. How much harm could it do? She felt like crap anyway, but as soon as she removed the cork the smell became too much and she opted against it. Wondering if the wine had been good, she inspected the bottle. But the expiration date hadn't been reached yet; she smelled at the bottle again making her face cringe for the second time.

She poured the bottle in the sink and decided to make herself a full English breakfast, it's what she always ate after a late night of partying. _Might as well eat it now._ Instead of drinking her broken heart away she threw herself on food, but this time it didn't help. It didn't make her feel better. At all.

Donna placed her plate with most of her breakfast still on it on her coffee table as she stared at the bunch of papers Harvey had given her last night. She hadn't found the courage of motivation to look at them yet. But she knew she had to. Eventually. She reached for the papers, her eyes immediately spotting his signature at the bottom of the piece of paper.

 ** _Harvey Reginald Specter._**

It was his signature this time. Just like she had signed the papers nine years ago. Donna kept staring at his name, the three simple words affecting her more than it should. Maybe even more than the meaning of the paper they were written on. The words she had probably spoken most in her life, _Harvey Specter._ The words she had affiliated herself with, the word that were always on the tip of her tongue. His name. _Harvey._

Donna let out a sigh as she stared at the blank spot next to his signature. The space where she was supposed to sign. Her name. But she couldn't, she wasn't ready for that. Even though she had told Paula she wanted this, she couldn't do it. She couldn't sign the damn paper. Putting the divorce paper aside she discovered a handwritten letter with a post-it attached to it was underneath it. The post-it she had written just a couple of days ago.

 ** _You're making me fall in love with you all over again._**

Another tear fell on her cheek as she read her own hand writing. She swallowed. She had been falling in love with him, she is falling in love with him. She is in love with him.

The knot in her stomach once again returned, but it travelled upwards. Like small stabs from her abdomen to her heart, her broken heart. Her broken heart that made her entire body ache and tense. She slowly unfolded the letter, removing the post it revealing the underlying content of the letter.

 ** _For the one that has my heart._**

 ** _Dearest Donna,_**

Donna gulped at the first lines. Just like the words he had said to her last night, she was reading words she didn't know where in his vocabulary. She wondered why she didn't know he could write like this. Maybe deep down because she couldn't? Because she, Donna, was actually the same as Harvey. Struggling with her feelings, albeit less than Harvey, but struggling non the less. Ever since she silenced their relationship by reinforcing that rule, she couldn't express herself. Maybe that was her problem.

 ** _I remember the day I met you. I was in the bar celebrating my first win in the D.A.'s office and they had bought me a drink I didn't bother to enjoy. 'You know usually when someone wins their first trial they at least pretend to finish the drink their fellow A.D.A.'s bought them,' that's what this sparkling redhead said to me when she joined me at the bar. Her auburn locks and bangs framing this gorgeous face, these hazel eyes. A brown blocked shirt and pencil skirt was what you were wearing. One that showed your prefect figure, I won't lie about it, I checked you out that day. Thought you were gorgeous. You told me it was my lucky day, the day I got to meet Donna. And it was. My lucky day. It was the day that changed my life, for better. It has never been the same since._**

Donna smiled as she recalled that moment, how she had been the one initiating their work relationship. She was surprised he remembered that moment so vividly. So precisely. She knew he knew her almost as good as she knew him, but she had never thought it would reach back to the very first minute they met.

 ** _You told me from the start you wanted a work relationship, but that only made me want you more. It was like you had bewitched me. You know I tried, day after day I tried to convince you otherwise. To go out with me. I know you thought all I wanted was to sleep with you. Maybe that's why you told me about your rule; maybe you always had it. Maybe you made it up on the spot. And it was what I wanted at first, but day after day what I wanted became more. I just wanted you._**

 ** _Then there was the other time, as you refer to it. I know I'm not supposed to mention it, but we're past that point I believe. That night was a night like no other. I showed up at your place that night because your rule didn't apply to us anymore. Giving me courage and hope. A hope you answered by opening that door in nothing but a silk lilac night gown and white sweater. A devilish smile on your face that made my knees week, the bottle of whipped cream in your left hand from the ritual I sketched out. Like you could read my mind, and maybe you can. That night you rocked my world and the fact that it didn't feel like just sex scared me. Scared me more than I'd like to admit, scared me more than I could understand at that moment._**

 ** _The next day in the diner I told you I didn't want to lose you. Lose you as my secretary, that was all I was able to pronounce when you mentioned your rule again. Shutting me down, cause it wasn't all I wanted. I wanted more, but you made clear I couldn't. I couldn't have both; so I chose work._**

 ** _Cause relationships scared me and although it was what I wanted, I got scared. I backed out. I settled for work, because it was better to have you in my life at work than not at all. I can't say I regret that day all together, because we've had twelve years since. Working side by side. But looking back I regret not fighting for you in that moment. For not protesting about your rule, for not putting it all out on the table. For not discussing all options. For not telling you how I felt._**

Donna sighed as she remembered the morning after. Him asking her to join him at the firm. The disappointment she felt but tried to hide by reinforcing the rule. An action she had always wondered if it had been the wright move.

 ** _You told me to put it out of our minds, to forget it ever happened. Well that's something I've never been able to do, but I did try my best to respect your rule. To not pursue you, but then you helped me with the whole wedding thing. And I know it's not fair and I know I broke your rule, but seeing you there standing in front of me. Beautiful as you are. I couldn't help myself, I had to kiss you._**

 ** _I know you agreed to marry me to help me get my apartment, but after that 'second' kiss I hoped there was a chance for us. I hoped it would mean finally being able to do something about those feelings I had been pushing back all that time._**

 ** _That kiss and the house party making me realise that agreeing to your rule had to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I didn't forget to sign those papers, I chose not no. And I'm really sorry for lying about that, but I couldn't tell you the truth. That I have had those papers in my desk for over nine years, unsigned. Because I didn't want to sign them._**

 ** _What I told you about Gordon is true. He always asked me about you and our relationship. When I would man up and finally tell you how I feel. He kept bugging me about wanting to live to see his redheaded grandchildren. After he passed away, I couldn't annul out wedding anymore. I regret not telling you this, but looking at everything that happened I do not regret not signing those papers._**

Donna smiled as she thought about his farther. Gordon. How he had been so proud of his son, always calling the firm to ask how things were going. In the beginning she always had to tell him Harvey was too busy to answer. But that didn't stop him from calling, he once confessed he know just called to talk to her. Talk about Harvey, about her. She had noticed the hints about them every once in a while, but she never responded to them.

 ** _I know you were pissed at me for not signing those papers and you have every right to be, but it did bring us last week. And to be honest it has been one of the best weeks of my life. I've always secretly wondered what it would be like to live with you. Reality has exceeded my expectations, my dreams._**

 ** _If I look around my house now it feels empty. Deserted even. You brought me that cactus because my apartment needed life. It does, but not that kind of life. My apartment needs you. My life needs you. I need you._**

 ** _I believe this past week has brought us closer together than ever. I thought we were finally in a place we both wanted. I thought you felt the same, I really did. But after you left Monday. After that court ruling, I'm not sure anymore._**

 ** _I hoped we would be able to figure things out together, but I know I've been dictating the shots for over nine years and this, whatever may happen, has to be your choice. I will not be the one holding you back this time, like I did nine years ago. I want you to be happy. I want you to get everything you've ever wanted from life. Even if it won't be with me._**

 ** _You have been making me fall in love with you from the start. Every day, all over again._**

 ** _I love you, Donna._**

 ** _Forever yours,_**

 ** _Harvey_**

The amount of tears falling down her cheeks only increased by the time she had finished his letter. His letter explaining how he felt. For a man that didn't do emotions, couldn't pronounce or express them, he sure could put them down on paper. She had always known he was good with words. In court.

But she now realised how good he could be. It had been the second time a letter by Harvey had brought her to tears; this one even more than the other. Donna couldn't stop the tears and gave in to them, the sound of her phone beeping the only thing that woke her up from her thoughts.

 _'11 AM – Appointment at the clinic'_

Donna sighed and stared at the screen, two weeks ago this had been the day she was looking forward for, but now she wasn't so sure anymore. If she really wanted to do it like this. Alone. Anonymous.

Or if she wanted more. Wanted to do this with the man she loved. To have the fairy tale, all of it. She looked back to the letter on the couch next to her. The one that showed her his feelings, but it also was the letter that had set her free.

It almost felt as if he was putting an end to all of it.

.

 _"Really Harvey, like you wouldn't run for the hills if I came to you for this?'_ " she recalled herself asking him as she stared at the sign above the door. The sign of the clinic, her feet had dragged her here. She didn't really know why. Hesitantly she redirected her gaze towards the handle of the door, her right hand also moving towards the object she was now staring at. _"I would,"_ she remembered him answering, being the final push as her hand pushed the door open. Letting out a breath before she stepped inside.

"Mrs. Specter," the older blonde woman said as she spotted the redhead walking into the clinic. A woman she remembered vividly. Donna swallowed. "It is Miss Paulsen now," she lied as she held the divorce paper in her hands. The one she hadn't been able to sign. "It's all taken care of," she added as she demonstratively placed the papers in the inner pocket of her Burberry coat again.

"Alright," the nurse continued with a smile, "please follow me," she continued as she signalled Donna to follow her to one of the rooms in the back. She waited for Donna to take a seat as she walked around her desk and did the same.

"So," she started, "as I explained two weeks ago today we'll start with the entire process. No final decisions have to be made, but we're going to take in all your details and do some test to make sure it is even possible to continue with the treatment." Donna stared at the wall for a second, letting the words sink in. "Okay," she finally answered, letting out a breath.

.

"Is there a problem?" the nurse asked as she noticed how Donna had stopped filling in the questionnaire and kept staring at the piece of paper. "Uhm," Donna mumbled as she looked up to the nurse again. "Maybe."

"Let me see the question," the blonde replied as she reached for the questionnaire and scanned the paper until she found the question Donna had stopped at. **_Have you had unprotected sex recently?_** The nurse looked at the paper again and back to Donna. "Did you?" she simply asked, although it felt more like a statement.

Donna thought about the past weekend. That Saturday night. The first time since 'the other time'. How she hadn't even thought about it at that time. Or that weekend for that matter, but she had been on birth control since she was a teen. So there was nothing to worry about, was there? "Crap," she mumbled then, as she remembered tossing away her birth control pills two weeks ago. How could she have not thought about that.

"I'm sorry?" the nurse asked as she couldn't really hear the response from the woman across the desk.

Donna closed her eyes for a second, letting out a breath. Suddenly feeling chilly. "I did," she replied louder this time.

"Okay," she heard the older woman reply. Feeling sick as she registered the judgemental tone, something she had never expected to happen in a place like the one where she was right now. "When did this happen?" the nurse continued.

"Five days ago," Donna replied. "And when are or were you due to ovulate?" Donna did the math in her head, counting on her fingers. "Five days ago," she whispered. Her mind catching up on the possible consequences of her actions these past days.

"Alright," the nurse replied, "it's a bit early, but I do like to do a blood test. Just to be sure. Have both you and your partner been tested for any STD's?" The last question making Donna's stomach turn as she thought about Harvey's history. She never heard him talk about it, but she didn't know for sure.

The nurse took in Donna's silence. "We'll test for that as well then," she replied and signalled for the treatment bed. "If you could take place, I'll get the test." Donna took of her coat, suddenly feeling extremely hot. Her hand reaching for her head as she walked over to the bed, trying to regulate her breathing.

.

"We'll know more at the end of the day," the blonde said to Donna as she placed the tubes of blood in a small white box, "you're welcome to stay here, but you can also come back around six o'clock."

"Six o'clock," she repeated mumbling as she got up from the bed. Putting on her coat and walking towards the door. "Six o'clock," she mumbled again. Donna ended in central park after she had made a stop at the bagel stand. Getting his favourite bagel. One with cream cheese and a decaf coffee to go.

 _Just in case she_ , she couldn't even complete her thoughts as she took a bite from the bagel. It didn't taste the way she remembered, flushing it away with a big sip from her decaf. She cringed at the taste of it and wondered how people could drink it. How some called it coffee. It was a far cry from her skim milk triple latte with whipped cream.

She sighed as she stared at the cup for a second before she redirected her gaze towards the park in front of her again. She observed the people walking around; a lot of them seemed to be on their break from work. But every now and then she spotted a young couple. Holding hands or kissing, her chest aching again as she remembered how that had been them last Sunday. Her and Harvey. She spotted a woman with a stroller in the distance and she wondered if that could be her someday. She hoped it would be her one day.

.

"Welcome back, Miss Paulsen," the nurse said to her as she held the door, waiting for Donna to enter the room they had been in earlier that day. Donna nodded at the woman, unable to formulate a verbal answer, as she seated herself in the chair she had sat in only hours ago.

The nurse scanned the paper with the results one last time before she spoke. "As I explained this afternoon, it's really early and to be one hundred percent sure I want to do another test in a week, but –"Donna gasped at the words, waiting for the confirmation of what she had prepared herself for to hear. The conclusion she had already drawn that afternoon.

" – you do have very high hCG level. Which is an indication for a pregnancy," the nurse told her.

"Pregnant," Donna mumbled. "Might be," the nurse emphasized again. Donna nodded, but she knew. She knew she was pregnant. That afternoon she had finally recognized the early symptoms. The symptoms she had felt once before, twelve years ago. The constant knot in her stomach, the tiredness. The food that didn't taste the way it should.

That afternoon she had put one and one together and had come to the conclusion that was now merely confirmed. Even though the nurse couldn't guarantee for sure, Donna knew. Tears forming in her eyes, a mixture of happiness and sadness as she remembered what had happened twelve years ago.

.

 ***now***

"Harvey," she whispered after a couple of minutes as she leaned on her elbow. Still waiting for his response, but he didn't reply. Harvey's eyes met hers and in them he saw a bigger fear than he felt himself. He just wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her closer.

Letting her head rest on his chest as his hand went through her auburn locks once more, his lips placing a kiss on her forehead. Her felt her body slightly relax in his arms, but he knew it were mere seconds before she would ask for an answer again. Ask for a conversation he didn't know how to handle right now.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow," he whispered.

.

Donna woke up and stretched her arms letting out a yawn. Realising the movement of her arms wasn't interrupted by the body that had been next to her, but were greeted by cold sheets instead, she opened her eyes. Harvey wasn't there and she wondered if it was an indication of what was to come.

She dragged herself out of his bed, following her nose towards the kitchen as she smelled blueberry pancakes. "Hey," he whispered as he sensed Donna's presence in the kitchen. "Hey," she replied, a smile on her lips because he was still there, as she took a seat on one of the barstools.

Harvey turned around and placed the plate with pancakes in front of her. "You made me breakfast?" she commented, not sure if she was merely stating what was happening or actually asking him about it. Harvey smiled at her as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt down. "I did," he replied as he put on his jacket and reached for his phone. Donna sighed as she watched him getting ready for work. "Harvey," she whispered, pausing for him to face her, "about last night. I think we –"

"Donna," he interrupted her. "I'm sorry," he started, immediately cursing himself for his choice of words as he took in the look on her face. "Jessica called. There's an emergency at the firm," he quickly added as he walked towards her. "We'll talk," he continued as he lifted her chin with his index finger, "I promise I'll be back as soon as possible," he added as placed a kiss on the top of her head again.

.

Harvey let out a deep sigh as he reached for his keys in his pocket. Glancing at his door sign one more time before he entered his apartment again, immediately being greeted by a smell like he was inside a bakery. He took of his jacket and continued walking towards his living room.

He spotted multiple cupcakes on his kitchen counter and an even bigger one on his dining room table. Next to it a teapot he didn't know he owned and in front of it he spotted Donna. Still wearing his old Harvard shirt and his boxers, she seemed to be looking at some book he didn't recognize.

He swallowed as his heart melted at the sight in front of him, as he took in the atmosphere. He took a couple of steps towards Donna and placed himself in one of the seats next to her. He now noticed she was looking at one of his old photo albums. An album that his farther had made about him.

He looked at the pictures of him as a baby and back to Donna, repeating the words she had said to him last night in his head. "Donna," he whispered, making her turn her head towards him and meet his eye.

"Is it mine?" he asked then.


	22. Chapter 22 - The Other Time

**Really love reading all your reviews and your thoughts on this story. It's what keeps me going, so thanks again for the reviews/ favs & follows! You might have seen me comment about it on twitter, but while continuing writing the conversation they're currently having I thought it would be better to have a flashback chapter first. To help explain what happened twelve years ago and their reactions to it now. So here's a long flash back chapter, called 'the other time'. It does contain literal parts of that episode (just the beginning), but I've tried to add their thoughts (or what I thought their thoughts would be) to it. So here's the other time, and since I'm not Korsh, I'm not shutting the door on you all. Enjoy and maybe leave a review? Thanks**

* * *

 **Chapter 22 – The Other Time**

"You quit?" he asked her, searching for an explanation on her face. "Damn straight," she replied, "I'm not working in a place headed by a viper," she continued shaking her head. "Donna," he mumbled, "I can't get you another job."

"Ooh, well, that's going to make my decision easier, " she replied firmly. "What does that mean?" he asked confused. She sighed. "I'm choosing between Bratton Could, Skadden Arps, and O'Melevny & Myers. If I had another one, I don't know what I'd do," she flirted.

Harvey raised his eyebrows at hearing her explanation, a smile appearing on his face as he tongue went over his bottom lip. "You know," he replied as he leaned towards her, "it just occurred to me that you and I don't work together anymore."

"Yeah," she mumbled, "that didn't just occur to you."

"No," he said smiling shaking his head, "it didn't." She grinned at his reaction, leaning slightly towards him. "Do you know how I know that?" she asked then, biting her lip. "Cause you knew I'd show up here the second I heard you quit?" he countered.

"Why do you think I have this in my hand?" she flirted as she lifted her left hand from behind her back to show him the bottle of whipped cream. Harvey bit his lip again as he eyed the can. "What are we waiting for?"

"For you to figure out it is time to come inside," she countered, causing Harvey to get on his feet again and stepping towards her. A big smile on his face as he followed her, pushing the door shut with his left hand as he leaned towards her.

He pulled her closer, his lips crashing on hers. Donna wrapped her right arm around his neck as his right hand took the bottle of whipped cream from her hand. She kissed him back, not knowing kissing somebody could make her feel this way. She felt her body being pressed against the wall as Harvey placed the bottle on the cabinet next to them. Both of his hands trying to remove the white cardigan she was wearing.

She moaned his name at the touch of his lips in her neck, his fingers tracing every curve of her body until his fingers reached the bottom of her night gown. He lifted the piece of fabric, his fingers just grazing her soft skin. She shivered, not knowing it was from the cold breeze of air that had entered the apartment or if it had been him.

She realised it was him when he touched her again, his fingers moving up and down her curves, while his lips kept savouring hers. She removed his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, letting her hands rest on his bare torso. He pulled back from their kiss for a second, just to look at her as he felt her hands tracing his muscles.

She smiled at him as she pushed him towards her bedroom, her hands fighting with his belt on their way over there. He lifted her up then, his hands around her butt as she pressed her breasts against his torso, their lips still connected to each other.

He lay her down on her bed, his body on top of her, his hands removing her lace bra and cupping her breasts, placing kisses down her neck, down her breasts and stomach. She pulled him back up as his fingers played with the elastic band of her panties. She could feel his arousal pressing against her. Getting harder when she took it in her hand, pulling his boxers away.

"We're. Forgetting. The. Whipped. Cream," he mumbled in between kisses. She sucked on his bottom lip as her hand reached for the bottle that had been on her night stand. "No, we're not," she replied as she removed the cap from the can.

Harvey frowned at her, wondering how she had gotten that bottle in the room without him noticing. He was sure he had placed it somewhere in her living room the second he held her in his arms. "What, you didn't think we would only go for one round," she teased him as sprayed some whipped cream on his lip, before she licked it off. Kissing him again. "God, woman," he moaned as he pulled her closer, his hand fighting hers for the bottle.

"It's Donna, actually."

.

Harvey woke up the next morning, a naked Donna still sleeping in his arms. He watched her for a couple of seconds, suddenly feeling difficult to breath. Scared of a feeling he couldn't place, all he knew was that he had to get away. Now.

He had never actually spent the night with someone or let someone stay and the fact that he had woken up next to her scared him to his core. He carefully lifted his fingers from her stomach, letting his fingers trace her skin one last time before he got out of the bed. He let out a breath once he closed the door of her apartment behind him.

.

Harvey paced through the conference room, staring at the floor. His hands in his pockets. "So let me get this straight," Jessica started as she stared at him from her chair, "You turned me down before and now you're saying you want to come back?" she asked him. "Yes," he replied as he turned to face her.

"Come clean, Harvey," she continued. "What changed your mind?"

"Instead of thinking about what I want to be doing in ten years, I started thinking about who I want to be doing it with," he replied thinking about the redhead. "Me over him," the name partner replied letting out a breath. "Terms are non-negotiable. You get what I give you."

"Fine by me," Harvey replied, "but I'm getting my own secretary."

"Associates don't get their own secretaries," Jessica shot back. "This isn't about the associate," Harvey reasoned, "it's about the secretary. And I'm not coming here without her." Jessica smiled at her protégé. "She must be very special," she teased him.

"She is," Harvey answered nodding his head, causing Jessica to smile again.

.

Donna woke up in her bed. Alone. She looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. Not even a note. She hid herself under her sheets, but they smelled like his cologne. She let out a sigh, wondering if she had made a mistake sleeping with him.

But it had been like heaven, it couldn't have been a mistake. It was too good to be a onetime thing. And she couldn't help but wonder if he would feel the same. She got out of the sheets again as she heard her phone ringing. She looked at the screen. It was Harvey.

.

"So," Donna sighed as she looked at the man in front of her, raising her shoulders, "what was so important that you just had to see me?" she asked, nervously moving around with her arms. She didn't really know how to act right now. Where this conversation was going.

"I don't know how to say it, so I'm just gonna come out and say it, but I…" he choked on his words. And paused for a second, "I don't want to lose you," he confessed shaking his head. Donna let out a breath and stared at him. "Come work for me," he asked her, his lips in a slight smile.

"What?" Donna replied, her eyes getting bigger. "Don't go to Skadden. I took a job at my old firm," he explained to her. Donna just stared at him, pressing her teeth together, but trying to smile non the less. She let her head fall down, she had to look away.

"I was hoping you'd be happy," Harvey continued. "What? I am," she replied, but she couldn't look him in the eye. "If this is about your rule –"

"No," she almost sighed, "it's not about that," she continued looking at her hands. "Because if I had known that this was going to happen, I never would have come over," he told her. He respected her too much for that, yes he would have tried. Still. But differently.

Donna swallowed and looked at the table again. "Why didn't you know that it was going to happen?" she asked him, only looking at him at the last second. "Because I hadn't thought about taking another job before," he explained in a soft tone. "And when I did," he mumbled pausing for a second. Taking her in as he shook his head a little, licking his lips. "I thought about who I wanted to take it with," he explained. "Look, I don't want to find out what kind of lawyer I'd be without you."

Donna raised her shoulder, letting them demonstratively drop as she sighed, shaking her head and letting her eyes fall down. Her head along with it as she stared at her own arms, trying to hide the disappointment. Figuring out what to do. "Okay," she decided then, "I will come work for you on two conditions. First we put it out of our minds and we never mention it again."

Harvey clenched his jaw at hearing her first condition. He quickly weighed the options in his head, but he was till scared and unsure of what had happened that morning. He decided there and then, that he would accept. Just because he couldn't lose her, and he knew he would never lose her if they'd work together. He swallowed and finally nodded at her statement.

"And second?" he asked. Donna stared at him for a second, maybe even in shock that he agreed to the rule again. "You're giving me a huge goddamn signing bonus." Harvey smirked and looked away as he casually reached for the blank check he already had in his pocket. He handed her the envelope with a grin on his face.

Donna was stunned, her mouth dropped, but she tried to hide it by moving around. "How do you know that's enough?" she teased him. "Because you're the one who's going to fill in the amount," he answered. "Oh my God," Donna laughed letting her head fall down, "you really do need me," she continued leaning on the table again. Looking at him this time. "To stop you from doing shit like this," she explained pointing at the check.

"Ooh, well," Harvey countered raising his shoulders, pulling back the check, but she stops him by placing her fingers on the other end of the piece of paper. "In the future," she gloated as she managed to move the check towards her, smiling as she brought her arm to her chin looking at the waitress at the table next to them.

"What?" he questioned then, tapping the floor with his foot, holding his hands in place. Trying not to reach for her hand. "We're going to need a new ritual," she explained to him. "Well, maybe," Harvey started as he leaned in the corner of the booth and reached for the object stuck between the waitress' apron, "we can think of something to do with a can opener," he finished as he held the metal object in front of her.

"Harvey," she mumbled, reaching for the can opener and by doing so covering his hand with hers. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," she continued leaning towards him, before she pulled the can opener out of his hand. Needing to break their contact.

.

Harvey watched her settle in. Decorating the desk outside his office. Her desk. He smiled and looked at his calendar. Monday August 5th. He was going to remember this day. The day Donna came to his desk. That much he knew. He got out of his chair and walked towards her cubicle.

"Harvey," she chirped as she sensed him near her. She knew he was standing behind her inside her cubicle. "Donna," Harvey replied with an enthusiasm in his voice that matched hers, his hand resting on her arm for a second before he pulled back again. "How about we go to that shitty Thai place you like tonight?" he asked as he recalled how she had told him about it a couple of months ago. He secretly loved the place, felt like their restaurant. Their type of dinner, their type of food. Donna was the only person he ate Thai with.

"Harvey," Donna mumbled this time, the tone in her voice sounding more like a warning. A warning that they couldn't do these kind of things anymore. Not after last week. Not after that morning in the diner. They should not, she shouldn't, even though she knew how much she wanted it.

"Ooh, come on," he whined, but he knew why she hesitated. He knew he had agreed to that stupid rule, but surely couldn't mean they'd stop hanging out altogether. "It's just dinner. We should celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" she asked questioning his face, the smirk smile on his face still causing butterflies in her stomach. He wanted to stay something about her coming to work for him, but he couldn't. Yes he was happy about that, but it had resulted in her reinforcing her rule. And he was anything but happy about that. He quickly scanned the cubicle around him. "Celebrate the fact that you finished decorating your sanctuary."

"My sanctuary," she repeated as she signalled the cubicle around them, "you mean this cubicle you've intruded?"

"I've intruded your sanctuary?" he teased shaking his head, "how about you always walking around in my office?" Donna smiled as she pursed her lips, "fine," she mumbled. "you're the only one allowed in here," she answered.

"Am I?" he asked, suddenly feeling this conversation could have a whole other meaning. "Can't have that Louis guy in here now, can I" she replied. "Anyway, how do you know I finished decorating?" she asked, redirecting the conversation to the earlier one. They were falling into their old habits way to easily.

"Because," Harvey mumbled, "you don't do pictures, but the uh … the plant is there," he explained as he pointed at the little cactus in the corner of her desk. The one that had been on her desk in the D.A.'s office.

"It's a cactus," Donna stated, wondering why she was even explaining to him what kind of plant it was. She knew he would never learn.

"So," Harvey stated, "is this cactus ready to celebrate?" he asked as he looked at her. Donna smiled at him. "Yes, but let's order in," she answered as she reached for her purse. "And please, I'm an orchid," she stated as moved her hand up and down in front of her body.

Harvey followed the movement of her hand and waited a second before he followed her out of her cubicle to take in her full figure. He swallowed, he didn't know anything about plants, but he couldn't help but agree to her choice of flower. Donna was indeed vibrant, a refined beauty. Something from another league. Donna was and orchid.

.

Donna moved her legs under her as she settled herself down in one of Harvey's chairs, Harvey sitting in his desk chair, pouring two glasses of scotch. A bottle from Cameron Dennis' office Donna had taken with her when she let the D.A.'s office.

"Okay, maybe you were right and this is a shitty Thai place," she commented after Donna took her second bite of chicken. Harvey smiled, she had never said he was right before, but he wondered how she came to that conclusion. The food really wasn't that bad, he just like to tease her about the restaurant. "What do you mean?" he asked now looking at her.

"It tastes weird," Donna replied as she held a piece of chicken between her chopsticks in front of him. "Try," she added, waiting for him to open his mouth. Harvey took the piece of chicken in his mouth, "it tastes just fine," he mumbled after swallowing the piece.

"Really?" Donna asked as she leaned forward and stole a piece of Harvey's dinner with her chopsticks. Harvey watched a smile appear again on Donna's face. "Come on, let's swap," he said as he held his carton box in front of her.

"Thanks," she whispered after they had exchanged their boxes, "I don't know why, but it just tasted weird."

"I thought you always knew everything," he teased her. "It's a first," she replied, "don't get used to it."

.

They stepped outside the elevator together on the ground floor. "So," she started as she looked around the large hall, still taking in the firm, the building, the people, "this is where you used to work before going to Harvard?" Harvey looked at her and nodded. "Yes," he replied, "this is where we will be working. Let's go, I'll walk you home."

Donna looked at him, his smirk smile still on his face. She knew he would still try, even after she reinforced the rule. "Harvey, no," she answered as she held a cab. "I'll see you tomorrow," she added before she got in the cab and drove off.

Harvey let out a breath as he watched the cab drive away. He needed a drink. He walked straight to the bar, not paying attention to his surroundings. He had needed a drink and he had needed it now. He downed the first drink and signalled the bartender to refill his glass with some more scotch.

This time he just took the glass in his hands as he slowly turned around, letting his back rest against the bar. His eyes automatically started scanning the room for a redhead, but he reminded himself that she wouldn't be there.

Donna was at home, not in the bar. The bar where they had met he realised now as he looked around again. He sighed again, wondering if he should just go home instead, until a blonde walked up to him. He took the girl home that night, thinking maybe that would make him forget about Donna.

He never caught her name and he couldn't be bothered anyway. He knew he would kick the girl out of his house the second he was done with her anyway. "Donna," Harvey moaned as he thrusted himself inside the blonde. She looked at him, her mouth dropping. "That's not my name," she managed to mumble as Harvey rolled off of her.

"It's.. it's Viola," she mumbled as she reached for her clothes and ran out of bedroom. With a heavy head Harvey let himself fall down on his bed again. He had his fun, but it didn't help. All he could hear or see was Donna. He didn't sleep that night.

.

Donna turned around and watched the hall way of her new work place. She could sense he was walking there, walking towards his office. And indeed he was. She took in his figure, the look on his face. He looked tired, but she noticed there was still the slightest hint of a smile on his face when he got closer to her.

She couldn't help but check his outfit, to read him. And that's when she saw it. His tie. A loud one, ever so slightly to the left. Donna swallowed, she knew what that meant and for once she wished she couldn't read him. Back at the D.A.'s office she would have walked up to him. Fixed his tie. And his hair if she had to be honest. But this time she didn't. Not today. Not now. Today she just greeted him as he walked by, handing him his coffee before returning to her work.

Harvey took a sip of his coffee as he walked inside his office. He tasted vanilla and he couldn't help but think about Donna. He wondered why that was happening, she always gave him coffee with vanilla, but right now it just felt as if all he could smell and taste was her.

Donna tried to continue with her work, but that tie she had just seen kept bugging her. Made her feel uncomfortable. A feeling she kept having as she watched him walk towards his office day after day. One loud tie after another. She wondered how many of those he had. At least ten she counted in her head. She even wondered which tie he had worn the morning after them.

.

"Here are the files you were looking for," Donna commented as she leaned forward and placed the papers on his desk. Harvey couldn't help but look at her. Stare at her. That dress she was wearing, the cleavage. It was just too much for him. He really tried not to look, but he had to. He even wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him as her breasts looked bigger than he had seen them before.

He swallowed and looked away, mumbling a thank you as she left his office again. He wondered if it was possible to be addicted to another person. Cause that's how he felt, addict to her. To Donna. He thought he was going to lose his mind if she kept wearing those figure hugging dresses. He felt weak. Little did he know those symptoms of his addiction, these feelings would still be bugging him over a decade.

.

.

"I'm sorry," Donna said as she got up out of her chair and walked towards the petite brunette that tried to slip past her desk, "where do you think you're going?" Donna asked a sharp tone in her voice, one of her eyebrows raised as she crossed her arms and stepped in between the woman and the door of Harvey's office.

"I'm here to see Harvey," the woman replied. Donna shook her head, annoyed by the tone the woman was using. "He's not here," she replied as she directed the woman away from his office. "Who should I say was trying to meet him? I could call him for you."

"The one that graduated first in his class," the woman replied as she turned towards the hallway. "Don't bother, I'll call him myself." Donna frowned as she seated herself down in front of her computer again. She had no idea who this woman was, but there was something about her that made her feel uncomfortable.

She did a quick search for Harvey's class at Harvard, trying to figure out who this mystery woman was. She couldn't stop after just finding out her name and now she cursed herself for even starting with the search to the super successful woman that had just stood in front of her.

Harvey walked towards her desk, but he didn't smile at her. Not this time. "Why did you send her away?" he asked annoyed. "Who?" Donna asked as she turned towards him, although she had a pretty good idea who he meant. It could only have been 'Miss the one that graduated first of his class.' Dana Scott she had learned to be her name.

"Scottie," he hissed.

Scottie, she repeated to herself. A nickname. Donna swallowed, trying to remain her posture. "You were in a meeting," she answered, "and I didn't send her away. She left," Donna added. "You could have let her wait in my office," he continued. "Donna, don't ever let someone in my office if I'm out," she shot back in her best impression of him. Harvey sighed. "Fine," he hissed, "what did she want?"

"I don't know, Harvey," Donna answered annoyed, "didn't she tell you when she called to complain about me?" Harvey just frowned at her and walked away, leaving Donna just standing there. She swallowed again, all of sudden fighting the tears forming in her eyes. She quickly turned around, unsure of why she was on the verge of tears she walked to the restroom.

Harvey let his eyes fall down as he witnessed her walk away. Mad at himself. He didn't mean to snap at her like that, he really hadn't. He had tried to apologize later that afternoon, but the case Jessica had assigned to him had kept him so busy he hadn't even noticed how she had left for the day.

.

That night Harvey found himself in a bar once again, downing two glasses of scotch at once this time. He had managed to avoid the bar. Their bar. The one he had ended up in two weeks ago. He really tried not to scan the room, to search for her. Just the slightest hint of red hair made his heart crumble, he knew he had to get a grip. To get over her. It just wasn't that simple. A new girl in his bed every night just wasn't the trick.

He cursed himself for doing it again, scanning the room. He sighed and started looking for his victim of the night instead. Preferably a girl that wouldn't ask questions. A girl that knew it was just for one night. His eyes fixed on the brunette walking towards him. Just the girl that knew what he was looking for. "Specter," she greeted him. "Scottie," he replied.

"So that redhead –"

"Why don't we not continue this conversation somewhere else," he interrupted her as he leaned towards her, his hand travelling to the small of her back.

.

Donna tried to look at the computer on her desk. To look at her screen. At the calendar she was organizing, his calendar. But she couldn't help herself as she recognized the sound of the elevator doors opening. She didn't even have to look at her watch to see if it was around the time he would arrive. She just knew. She observed him getting closer. The smirk smile still there on his face. He nodded at her as she held a post-it note in front of him. "Forgot to give you this yesterday, but Dana Scott called again," she told him, trying to sound as natural as possible. "She wanted to –"

"I know, she told me," he interrupted her as he grabbed the cup of coffee that she had placed there for him.

That's when she noticed it again. His tie. The loudest one yet. "Okay," she mumbled, feeling her stomach turn, as she watched him turn around and enter his office.

.

.

The next couple of mornings they both followed a new kind of routine they had fallen into. She still tried to keep focussing on her work, but failed morning after morning when the clock hit eight thirty. Her head just automatically turned towards the hallway and she watched him walk towards her. Day after day she watched him. She'd observe his outfit, his tie being the trigger for her mood the rest of the day.

He would greet her and accept the coffee she had gotten him, still the ones with a hint of vanilla in them. The flavour that kept haunting him. If it wasn't his coffee, it was the smell of her shampoo that filled his nose every time she entered his office.

And so she did the same this morning. Turning her head towards him. Taking in his expression, he seemed tired again, before she looked at his tie. A blue patterned one. One she had seen before. She greeted him before she turned around again and opened her notebook, counting the tellies. Eighteen. Eighteen little stripes kept staring at her. He had eighteen of those ridiculously loud ties. Eighteen ties that could make her stomach cringe at the pure sight of them. She was just glad she hadn't seen that extremely loud one again. Or the woman that she knew had caused it for that matter.

.

.

Another three weeks passed with the same routine every morning. Except until this point he had mostly worn plain ties these past weeks. She hadn't counted those, but she could see he regulated through them more often than the loud ones. Until this morning, when she spotted that one again. The sight of it making her physically sick this time as she quickly excused herself and hurried to the bathroom. _Donna Paulsen, why are you throwing up over a damn tie?_ She cried to herself. She wiped away the tears as she walked back to his office again.

"Harvey, do you need anything?" she asked as she stepped in his office, "or else I'm going home, I'm not feeling that well," she explained. Harvey's head immediately popped up at the sound of her voice. He could hear something was off and he wondered what it was. "Are you –"

"Aah there you are, Specter," Scottie interrupted them as she entered his office, a huge grin on her face as she stepped along Donna and walked straight to Harvey. "Scottie," Harvey answered with a smile as his gaze followed Scottie.

"Harvey?" Donna asked again, bringing her arm to her stomach. Feeling like she could go for another round. "Uh…," he mumbled as he kept looking at Scottie, "could you just get me these books from the library?" he asked as he stretched his arm out. Holding a file in his hand. "Sure," Donna mumbled as she reached for the file and turned around.

.

Donna stormed off to the library, mentally thinking of ways to hang Harvey with that loud tie of his. Thinking of ways to get rid of that Scottie girl at the same time. Normally she wasn't the jealous type, but right now she just couldn't see him with her. She just couldn't.

Donna quickly scanned the list as she looked at the shelves in front of her. _Of course. He has got to need the ones from the top shelve._ She sighed as she climbed the ladder, still annoyed at how he had just completely ignored her. She reached for the first book he needed, and the second. Holding both heavy books she searched for the third, she wanted to get out of the firm stat and climbing that ladder another time wasn't something she wanted to do.

She reached for the third book, it was slightly further away than she expected it to be. She leaned on her toes, stretching her arm some more, trying to balance on the ladder. Until one of the books in her arm started to slide away. She made the mistake of trying to reach for that book at the same time, making her lose balance. Her shoe slipping from the tread. Her body falling to the ground. The books falling on top of her. On her stomach.

.

"Seriously," Scottie started as she leaned against Harvey's desk again, "I don't know why you have a secretary if she can't even get you some books." Harvey looked up at her and back to the desk outside his office. He noticed how Donna still wasn't there.

"It's been like an hour," Scottie added. Harvey nodded and reached for his phone. _Something must have happened. She wasn't feeling well, was she._ But Scottie removed the phone from his hand, as she climbed on his lap. "On the other hand," she whispered as she let her hands rest of his torso, "I do have you all to myself now," she whispered before she kissed him.

.

"OMG, Donna," Louis screamed out as he ran towards the direction of the yell he just heard. The senior associate kneeled down next to her. "Donna, are you okay?" he asked as he tried to help the red head back on her feet.

Donna cringed as she tried to get up, feeling like a dozen of knives where stabbed in her stomach. "I'm fine, Louis," she lied as she let him help her get up again. Louis watched her face cringe again as she took another step, he watched her reach for her stomach once more. "No, you're not," he replied. "We need to get you to the hospital."

"No, we don't," Donna answered, putting up her best smile. "I'm fine, I'll just go home," she tried to brush it off. "Okay," Louis mumbled, realising there was no point in fighting with the woman. "But let me call you a cab."

.

The cabdriver looked in his rear view mirror at the woman in the back seat. She seemed to be in severe pain. "Miss, are you okay?" he asked, concerned. "Yes," Donna mumbled as she felt her stomach turn again, "just turn left here. We're almost there," she continued giving directions to her apartment.

The man helped her out of the car once they pulled up next to her building. "Miss, are you sure you are okay?" he asked again. "Yeah," she mumbled again, but as she took another step, the pain in her stomach becoming too much. Her knees giving in, she fell down. _Maybe she really wasn't okay._ "Okay, that's it," the man said as he placed Donna back in the car, "I'm taking you to the hospital."

.

Scottie seated herself in Harvey's desk chair, while the lawyer was in a meeting. She inspected his desk, his office. Acted like she owned the place. Louis knocked on the door. "Harvey," he started as he waited for the lawyer to respond, but to his surprise the man wasn't there. Instead a petite brunette turned around in the chair.

"Harvey is in a meeting," she replied firmly. "What do you want?" she ordered. Louis was taken aback by the figure in front of him. A female Harvey, that was what she was. "I just came to bring these," he continued as he showed her the stack of books Donna had assembled in the library earlier. "Donna's gone home, she wasn't feeling well," he added for clarification as he turned around. "Could you tell him that?" he asked as he looked at the brunette one more time.

"Sure," Scottie replied as she watched the other lawyer walk away again, her thoughts being interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. She looked around and spotted Harvey's jacket on his couch, searching the pockets she found his phone. She looked at the screen and sighed. It was Donna. She hit ignore. Time after time, she hit ignore. Until she shut down his phone all together.

.

Donna woke up with a headache. Not sure where she was she looked around the room. It appeared to be the hospital, but she wondered how she had ended up there. She had specifically told Louis she didn't want to go. That's when she noticed she was wearing a hospital gown, finally remembering what had happened. The cab ride home. The pain in her stomach, how she collapsed on the pavement. The blood.

"Miss Paulsen," a nurse said as she walked over to Donna, "do you remember what happened?" she asked.

Donna just stared at the woman, she didn't. Everything after that pain jolt was a blur. "Miss Paulsen, I'm so sorry," the woman started again, making Donna swallow.

She felt her heart skip a beat. _Sorry? Sorry for what?_ "But you've had a miscarriage," the nurse told her. Donna swallowed again, her arms instinctively reaching for her stomach. "A miscarriage?" she repeated mumbling, she didn't even know she was pregnant. Had been pregnant.

"I'm sorry," the nurse apologized again, "it looks like you were about seven weeks along."

"Seven weeks," Donna mumbled, a tear running down her cheek. "We've tried to call your emergency contact," the nurse continued, "but Mr. Specter isn't answering." Her mouth still dropped she felt her eyes welling up. "Seven weeks … Harvey," she mumbled as her head had put the pieces together.

"Is there anyone else we could call?" the nurse asked. "No," Donna answered resolute, "don't call anyone."

 _._

Harvey walked back to his office. He tried to smile at the sight of Scottie sitting in his chair. He couldn't help but think about how Donna did that from time to time. "Well that took you long enough," Scottie commented as she watched him walk towards her.

"I was in a meeting Scottie," he replied, "couldn't walk away now, could I?" His eyes spotted the books on the corner of his desk. The ones he had asked Donna to bring him. He looked over his shoulder, but the redhead wasn't there. "Did Donna bring these?" he asked, not sure why he asked the question he already knew the answer to. "No," Scottie replied, "it was this bald lawyer. Louis I believe his name is," she continued, "he said Donna felt sick and went home."

"Ooh," he mumbled as he tried to reach for his phone on his desk. "I should call –"

"Harvey," Scottie interrupted as she snatched the phone from his desk again. "Give the woman some rest. She's fine." Harvey sighed. "Yeah you're right," he mumbled, thinking about how he should stop caring about her. She had reinforced her rule. He should give her some space. "Let's go," he said as he extended his hand towards Scottie. She followed him, tossing his phone on his couch behind his back. She didn't want their night to be interrupted. By Donna.

.

The next morning Harvey walked towards his office again, a strange feeling in his stomach. Something was wrong, something was off. But he couldn't really place what. The moment he spotted the redhead at her desk again, the feeling disappeared.

He smiled at her and greeted her. She didn't smile back and he wondered why, but he didn't ask her. He just watched her the rest of the day. Watched her getting visited by Louis from time to time. He seemed to be checking up on her and Harvey wondered why that was as he let himself fall down on his couch. He felt something poking in his leg and as he reached for the object he realised it was his phone.

When he fired it up again he saw he had five missed calls. Two from Donna's cell and three from a number he didn't recognize. He looked back and forth between the screen of his phone and Donna, walking back to his desk. He searched for the number, his heart dropping as he saw it was the number of the local hospital.

He wanted to know what had happened, but he didn't know how to ask her. He wondered if he should get her something. Flowers maybe, just like he had seen Louis do. Orchids, he would get her orchids, he decided as his fingers had already typed the search for the nearest florist on Google.

The sound of her heels making him look up from his screen again. "Hey," he whispered. Donna nodded as she handed him the files she had been working on, "the Hanson briefs."

"You okay?" he asked, he needed to know, but before she could answer Scottie entered his office again. "Donna," she greeted the redhead as she walked over to Harvey. "Yes," Donna mumbled, "I'm fine now. Perfectly fine," she mumbled as she walked away again. She didn't stop at her desk, but went straight for the bathroom, fighting the tears. _She wasn't fine. At all. She was in shock and she hated that brunette._

Harvey just stared at his secretary walking away again, before he noticed Scottie leaning against his desk. "See, she's fine," the woman gloated. "Yeah," he mumbled, closing his web browser leaving his order unfinished. "I guess she is," he mumbled, taking a mental note that he had to stop caring for her. He didn't know what she had done to him, but he had never felt this weak before.

.

"Caring only makes you weak," was what he would say years later.


	23. Chapter 23 - Stay with me

**Wow, wow, wow, the reviews. Thanks so much everyone for the support and showing your thoughts on this. I won't spoil too much, as it will all be discussed in the chapter. But yes, she's pregnant for the second time. I loved how everyone felt for Donna (and Harvey a bit) .. and were with me on the Scottie as villain part in this (she seemed like the perfect character for this).. Anyway, here's the next part. Enjoy and maybe leave a review? X**

* * *

 **Chapter 23 – Stay With Me**

"Is it mine?" he asked.

She took in his question, her face frowned at the realisation of what she thought he was asking. "You're seriously asking if it is yours?" she shot back, closing the photo album. "Donna," he mumbled as he tried to reach for her hand, "you went to an IVF clinic two weeks ago. We never talked about it, you never told me if you were going to continue –"

"Harvey," she interrupted him, the frown on her face only growing as she placed her hands on his table pushing herself up, "shut up."

"No," he shouted then, bringing his hand down to the table. He needed her to give him the time to clarify his question, but he realised his reaction was to harsh when Donna let herself fall back in the chair, her eyes avoiding his. "What I … what I mean is … I want it to be mine," he confessed then, a softer tone in his voice this time.

"So is it? Is it mine?" he asked again, reaching for her hand once more and this time she let him. "You… you want it to be yours," she replied stuttering, in shock of his confession. _But last week he said he would run for the hills._ She had dreaded telling him. Telling him she is pregnant with his child, but his actions of the night before. His words now, a complete 180 of how she had expected him to respond.

"Donna," he pushed again. He needed to know. Pronto. His heart melting all over again as he watched her slowly nod at him. "Yes," Donna mumbled then a tear running down her face, "yes. It is." Harvey leaned in towards her, his thumb removing the tear as his hand travelled along her cheek towards her neck and he pulled her closer as he wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Hey," he whispered as he hugged her, "it's okay. This is .. this is good. I mean.. it is right?" he asked then, realising she had actually never said if she wanted his child. "Do you want it to be mine? Ours?" Donna smiled at him as she faced him again, the 'ours' causing butterflies to return in her stomach. She nodded. "Yes," she mumbled, "yes it's all I ever wanted since – " but she couldn't finish her sentence as Harvey cupped her face and kissed her.

Her last words and his mind making him pull back, "since when?" he mumbled then curious as to what she was about to say. "Wait," he interrupted her before she could answer his question, "we slept together just under a week ago. How.. how could you already know?" he asked confused.

Donna leaned back in her chair and swallowed, looking away from him. Maybe this was even harder to explain. She didn't know where to start and how could she. How could you tell the man you're in love with that you know because you had been pregnant with his child ten years ago and never told him.

"Donna," Harvey pushed again as he noticed how she was avoiding his eyes once again. Donna swallowed and redirected her gaze towards him again. "Okay," she started, "please just listen alright?" she asked, which may have been one of the worst possible starts of this conversation. "I did go to the clinic yesterday and that's where they did a blood test. The test results showed high levels of hCG, which could indicate a pregnancy."

"Could indicate," he repeated her words, "so you're not sure," he asked, now even more confused. Donna sighed. "I am. Sure," she replied, "the nurse said she wanted to do a test to know for sure, but I just knew."

"You just knew?" Harvey asked not understanding how she could know, "How?"

"I," she mumbled, letting her eyes fall down again. "No Donna," he interrupted her, "you don't get to I'm Donna me. No. Not now. How? How do you know? For sure?" he pushed. "Because," she mumbled, "because I've felt this way once before."

"Before?" He asked, "what do you mean? When have you felt like this?" he questioned. "Twelve years ago," she replied as she let her head hang down. "Twelve years ago," Harvey repeated then, "twelve years ago ... The ... The other time?"

Donna looked at him again, tears forming in her eyes, her head softly nodding to his assumption. "Donna, you were pregnant with my child ten years ago and you're just telling me now!" He fired back as he got out of his chair.

"Harvey," she tried. "No, seriously Donna. How couldn't you tell me?" he shot back. "Harvey," she cried as she tried to look at him. Harvey shook his head, starting to pace through his living room. Everything just felt unreal at the moment. "Harvey, I ... I wanted to tell you, but I .." she stuttered. "Couldn't?" Harvey added raising his eyebrows as he stopped in front of her again. "Bullshit Donna," he continued, "How couldn't you tell me?"

"Scottie," Donna cried then, "you were with Scottie again."

"So?" he shot back, "what does Scottie have to do with not telling me?" he countered. "Because you didn't notice -"

"Didn't notice what? How should I've known that if you didn't tell me," he argued. "How often have I called in sick or went home in all these years?" Donna asked then. Harvey frowned at her, "I don't know Donna, once or twice maybe. What does that have to do with this."

"It has everything to do with this," she shot back, "do you remember that day you asked me to get some books from the library? I fell from the ladder I was standing on," Donna cried. Harvey tried to think about the moment she was mentioning. He wondered if that was what had happened that day. The day he missed those phone calls. The ones from the hospital. _But she said she was fine._ He finally nodded, "so?" he mumbled.

"So," she repeated angry, " so I went home sick. I felt like I was stabbed in my stomach."

"Donna," Harvey nagged again, it wasn't time for random stories, he needed answers. "Harvey, I woke up in the hospital that afternoon. That was the day I found out I was pregnant. And I only found out because I lost the baby that day," she cried.

"You … you lost it," he repeated stuttering, not sure if he was relieved or not. But mostly still in shock about Donna having been pregnant with his child before. "I know you couldn't have known," Donna continued, "I didn't know till then. But I fell down the stairs and you never even bothered to call me. To see if I was okay."

"Ooh," Harvey mumbled then, frozen on the spot. His mind on overdrive, but mostly feeling like a dick for his actions back then. For making Donna cry right now. For Donna having to carry that grief on her own. He pulled her towards him a few minutes later, wrapping his arms around her. Just holding her as he let her cry on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry you lost the baby, but mostly I'm sorry for making you feel like you couldn't tell me.," he pressed his lips against her head. "I don't want it to happen again," Donna mumbled after a few seconds, thinking about the miscarriage. "I want this baby. I wanted it back then. And I want it with you, but-"

"But what, Donna?" he asked, wiping away her tears. "Are you ready for all this?" she asked taking a step back, "last week you said you'd run for the hills. And I know what you wrote in your letter, but I saw Scottie at the firm the other day. And I know what that means with the two of you."

"Donna," Harvey sighed taking a deep breath. Formulating the next sentences in his head. It was now or never. And he had to get it right. "I love you, Donna. You. Not Scottie. You, " he paused a small smile on his lips looking at her, "Yes, Scottie was at the firm the other day, but I told her to leave," Harvey paused again, his fingers fidgeting with the pocket of his suit pants.

"And I didn't mean to say I would run for the hills. When I asked you why you didn't ask me, I … I actually wanted you to ask me. I wanted to say that I would do it for you, if you asked," he confessed, raising his shoulders as if a weight was being lifted. A weight that had been there for over a decade; and he was finally able to tell her.

"But I choked on my words, got scared that maybe you wouldn't want that with me, and then you ran and paused the subject," he explained now looking her in the eye again, "And.. Point is I am ready. I want this. Donna, I love you. I've always loved you."

Donna couldn't stop smiling as she walked towards him. Letting her hands rest on his torso as she kissed him softly. "You're into me," she teased him. "I am," he mumbled as he took her in his arms, his lips finding hers again, "always have. Always will."

"What took you so long?" she asked flirtingly, her fingers playing with his hair. "Your rule," he mumbled. "Why did you reinforce it? After .. after the other time?" he asked, he needed to know. Maybe it wasn't the best moment to bring it up, but they had to talk about all the things they paused sometime. And well this was one of those things.

Donna thought for a second. Reinforcing the rule was something she had done over a decade ago, but it was a moment that had often passed her thoughts. "To protect myself, I guess," Donna whispered, "protect myself from falling in love or even deeper in love with you. I'd seen you with all those other women and I … I didn't want to be one of them, where you would dump them because you've had your fun," she paused for a second and she could see he wanted to protest to that assumption, but she didn't let him.

" I .. you asked me to join you at the firm and honestly that hurt. I had wanted to try a relationship maybe. And you asking me to join you…I took that as you telling me that you didn't want me anymore. Because you knew about my rule, you knew that working together again would be the end of us romantically."

"I'm sorry, that's not all I wanted back then," he mumbled. "I know now," she replied, "I wish you had told me then." He looked at her letting out a breath. "I wanted to..," he sighed, "but I didn't know how. And I couldn't after you brought up the rule again. Why did you agree to come to the firm?" he asked then.

"I just needed to be near you," she confessed. Harvey let out a sigh, realising they had both silenced their relationship all those ago by not telling the truth. By assuming they knew what the other wanted, well in fact they had wanted the same. In fact they both settled for less, both thinking it was the only way to be near the other. "And now?" he whispered, "what about your rule now?"

"I'm not sure," she confessed, letting her head hang down. "Donna," Harvey sighed as he let his arms fall down. "You waved your goddamn rule for Stephen Huntly and now you're no sure?"

"Harvey," she mumbled, "that's not what I'm saying. It's just I want us to work… and that doesn't mean I don't want to work for you anymore. But I need to think about it, because if this doesn't work out I don't think I could go back to how it was before."

"Okay," he whispered then, "I don't want to go back either. We're having a baby together, Donna. I need us to work," he tried to explain. "Harvey," she mumbled, after hearing what she was somehow still scared of. "I want this baby and I want to be with you, but I need you to want us because of us. Not just because I'm pregnant."

"Donna," Harvey sighed as he pulled her back again, "I made the mistake of not telling you how I felt twelve years ago, nine years ago. Heck I made that same mistake every single day. I let you go, but I'm not making that mistake anymore." He paused for a second, staring into her eyes, "I love you and I'm not letting you walk away this time. Our baby is the icing on the cake."

She kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kept smiling. Smiling because she finally got all she ever wanted. It was just a coincidence it all happened at the same time. "Icing huh?" she repeated. "Okay, whipped cream then," he teased her as he smirked at her, bringing her lips to his again.

.

"So did you like what you saw?" he asked as he pointed at the photo album on the table. Reaching for her hand as he walked over to it. "Of course," she replied as she followed him, "but I prefer the grown up version," she whispered in his ear.

"Do you now?" he teased as he pulled her closer again, reaching for the album when he noticed the papers next to it. The divorce papers. With his signature. **_Harvey Reginald Specter._** He swallowed at the sight of his own signature, his gaze moving to the right. Noticing the empty spot. "You didn't sign it," he commented as he looked at her.

"I didn't want to," she whispered, "I don't want to," she corrected herself. "Donna Specter, sounds good," he smiled as he signalled her to come sit next to him. To talk about all the other things they had paused during their week together. To talk about all the things to come and where to take it from here. If he was honest, he wasn't much of a talker, he much rather kiss her again, but he also knew they had to. They had to talk, cause if they only had all those years ago things might have already been different.

.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he watched Donna walk towards the door getting her coat. "Home," she replied simply. Harvey crooked his head, questioning her actions. "Donna," he whispered, hoping she would stay. After everything they've discussed. After these couple of days apart, he wanted her to stay.

"Harvey, I love you," she answered then. It was the first time she actually said those words out loud. In his presence, but the tone in her voice made Harvey wait for what else she had to say. "But that doesn't mean I'm ready to move in, get married and have your babies."

"You do realise there's only one of those things left to do?" he teased her. "Harvey," she mumbled. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he took her in his arms again. His heart still warm from the four words she had just said to him, "we'll take things slow. Just like we discussed."

"Thanks," she whispered before she kissed him again. "See you tomorrow."

.

Harvey sighed and turned around for the umpteenth time that night. His bed feeling empty without her. Just wanting her near him. He reached for his phone, checking the time. He noticed the message from Donna.

 ** _Sweet dreams – x_**

He smiled at the message and noticed that she had only send it minute ago and instead of replying to her message he called her. "Hey," he whispered when she answered the phone. "Hey," she replied, "trouble sleeping?" she asked, staring at the ceiling. "Yeah," he mumbled, "my bed is so empty without you."

"Harv," she replied, slightly annoyed at his comment. They agreed to take things slow. "I just want you here.. in my arms," he replied, "I just wish you were here. That I could see you." Donna smiled at hearing those words, butterflies dancing around in her stomach. "Hold you phone in front of you," she told him.

"What?" he replied, not sure what she meant. "Just do it," she continued as she switched to Facetime.

Harvey frowned , removing the phone from his ear and holding it in front of him. A grin appearing on his face as he saw his screen change to the video call. "Hey," he replied again.

Donna felt asleep that night talking to Harvey, her phone on the pillow next to her, the screen faced to her. Harvey smiled as he noticed how Donna had drifted away, sleeping peacefully. "Sweet dreams," Donna he whispered, "I love you."

.

.

Donna stepped off the elevator that Friday morning, with two cups of coffee in her hand. Well one to be exact, a decaf for her. A smile on her face as she entered the firm for only the second time that week, such a big contrast between how she felt leaving that Monday and returning now.

It had only been a week, not even, but so much had changed. Changed between them, for the better. She just had to figure out how this entire work thing would play out. Her rule. How she would want them to act around each other. Would they tell, or keep playing pretend. She wondered about the options, although she knew the last wasn't really one to consider. And not just because she was pregnant.

She continued walking through the hallway of the fiftieth floor when her eyes spotted the flowers on her desk. Stepping closer she noticed it where orchids and for a second her mind wandered off to her first day at this firm. How she had casually called herself an orchid and she wondered if he still knew.

"Like them?" Harvey whispered in her ear as stepped up to her. The warmth of his breath tickled her neck as she turned around slowly, facing him. The smile on her face already giving away the answer. Harvey grinned as he saw her nod, fighting the need to kiss her right there.

"Why?" she whispered as she handed him his coffee, her hand trailing past his arm as she walked around her cubicle, sitting down in her desk chair. Harvey took a sip from his coffee and leaned on the edge of her desk. "Well," he started, "there was this little girl once who told me you're supposed to bring flowers if you're going on a date."

Donna tried to hide her smile. "We're going on a date, huh," she teased him. "Donna," Harvey mumbled as he leaned forward, "would you do me the honour of accompanying me to dinner tonight?"

"Ooh let me check my calendar," she teased him some more as she unlocked her phone and stared at the screen. The entire evening was blocked out. "I'll pick you up at seven," he said with a smirk as he walked towards his office. "Wait," Donna called him, making him turn around, "so you do know how to set a calendar?" she asked.

"Only the Donna-calendar," he replied.

.

Mike sighed going through the files as he walked towards Harvey's office. In the corner of his eye he spotted the redhead again. "Hey, Donna," he mumbled automatically, before his ears registered his own words, making him stop in his tracks. "Wait," he mumbled turning towards her, "Donna you're here," he exclaimed.

"Hi pup," she greeted him back. "Yes, where else would I be?" she asked him. "Well uhm.. I mean..," Mike stuttered, "you… uhm, Harvey was…" Donna saw Harvey roll his eyes from the corner of her eye and she immediately knew where the questions from Mike, if he would be able to pronounce them, would lead to. "Mike, I'm here. And you better get your ass in that office, Harvey has been waiting for those files."

"Yeah, sure," Mike mumbled as he continued to the lawyer's office. "Mike," Harvey mumbled as he watched Donna get out of her cubicle walking away, his eyes tracing her every curve. His mind trying to remember every freckle.

"Harvey," Mike mumbled as he followed the older man's gaze to the spot where the redhead had just been sitting. "Earth to Harvey," Mike tried again as he moved the files up and down in front of Harvey's face.

"That sounds good Mike," Harvey replied, "yeah we'll go for that approach," he added making Mike raise his eyebrows laughing at him. "What?" he questioned.

"What?" Mike mimicked, "you're asking me while you're the one staring out of this office his mind a million miles away. What happened?" he asked nodding his head towards the direction of Donna's cubicle. "Nothing," Harvey replied, not wanting to talk about it, "now do you –"

"No," Mike interrupted him, "not nothing happened. Cause last Sunday I saw the two of you kissing and holding hands and Monday you told me you might actually want to try. Then Donna disappears for three days and you were the worst I've ever seen you and now you're … OMG, something did happen."

"Mike," Harvey mumbled. "You two are finally together," the pup continued. "Mike," Harvey tried again, now finally getting the pups attention, "we decided to try," he confessed. Mike's mouth dropped at hearing his boss actually confirm it. "You are? You really are?"

"Yes, but we're taking it slow," Harvey answered. "Slow?" Mike repeated, "it already took you guys over an decade," he shook his head. "Mike," Harvey warned this time, clearly done with this conversation. "The files?"

.

"Flowers?" Donna asked as she opened the door for him, "you already got me flowers this morning," she smiled. "Yeah, I have a lot of years to catch up on," he replied as he handed them to her, "you ready?"

"I am," she replied as she reached for his hand, her fingers slipping between his. "So where are we going?" she whispered looking up to him. "There's only one place I could take you," he answered, "well two. But only one for dinner."

Donna raised her eyebrows, questioning his face. "You mean - "

"Our place," he whispered as he pulled her hand, "let's go."

.

"Our table?" she questioned him as he drew back her chair. "You only noticed now?" he teased her, leaning forward, "I always get this table," he whispered in her ear, "thought you always knew everything."

"I did … notice back then even," she replied looking around Del Posto, "when we came here for the second and third time. Why this table though?" she bit her tongue looking at him. It felt as if they were going over every special thing they once did and explaining why they did it back then. "Because you picked it the first time we came here," he answered, "simple as that."

"Tradition," she smiled. "Ritual, kind of," he smirked.

.

A waitress walked up to their table again. "I hope everything was to your liking?" she asked, "would you like to have a desert?" Donna smiled and Harvey noticed the look on her face, "I think we do," he replied, "could we get the Melanzane e Cioccolato?"

"Excellent choice, mister," the waitress answered, "perfect for celebrations," she added, "on how many years may I congratulate you?" the young woman asked. "I'm sorry?" Donna replied instantly. "Nine years and one a half months," Harvey replied, reaching for Donna's hand. Smiling at the waitress.

"Wow," the waitress replied, "congrats. I'll go get your desert," she nodded walking away. "What?" Harvey mumbled, seeing how she was questioning his words. How she was trying to read him. "Nothing," she mumbled, "nine years sounds good."

"It does, doesn't it," Harvey paused waiting for the waitress to put their desert on the table and leave again, "to at least another nine years," Harvey toasted. "To our first date," she replied clinking her glass of water with his glass of scotch.

"Ooh come on," Harvey replied tilting his head, "this isn't our first date." She crooked her head, biting her lip as she looked at him. "Yes it is," she argued, "this is our first real date."

"For the record," Harvey argued as he leaned towards her, "every time we went to dinner, ordered in or you accompanied me to firm business.. I wanted it to be a date."

.

Harvey reached for her hand once they were outside again, walking towards the black Lexus. "So?" he mumbled. "So," she mimicked smiling at him. "Do you want to go back and grab a drink?" Harvey asked. "I can't thanks to you," she joked.

"Uh, yeah. Tea?" he corrected himself, his hand rubbing through his hair looking at the ground. She smiled as she realised how nervous he was. "No it's okay," she whispered, "I'd like to go home actually."

"Home," he repeated, trying to hide the disappointed in his voice. There it was, that word again. Home. She wanted to go home, without him. "Sure, I'll bring you home," he mumbled.

.

"I had a great time tonight, Harvey," she whispered, playing with the keys in her hand. It was cliché and she'd never done that before, but she just didn't want to say goodbye yet. "Me too," he smiled as he placed a strand of hair behind her ear. "We should do this more often," he smirked, letting his head rest on hers.

Donna smiled, her skin burning from Harvey's touch. "We should," she whispered, the warmth of her breath as an invitation for his lips. An invitation her answered as his right hand caressed her cheek, lifting her chin as his lips savoured hers.

His left hand travelling behind her back, pulling her even closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers playing with his hair. The groan he let out as his phone rang made Donna laugh on his lips. "No," Harvey mumbled as his thumb traced her bottom lip, "I'll just let it go," he whispered as he kissed her again.

The second time his phone went off Donna pulled back, her hands reaching for his phone in the pocket of his pants. Harvey swallowed and tried to ignore her action, redirecting his eyes to his phone. "God damn puppy," he mumbled as he saw Mike's face.

"Maybe you should answer," she suggested as she pressed answer and handed him the phone. "Mike," Harvey hissed, "what's wrong?"

.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "They need me at the firm," he explained to her as her placed his phone back in his pocket. "Do you need me to come with you?" she asked reaching for his hand. "No," he reassured her, his fingers drawing circles on her wrist, "you just got home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," she repeated after he kissed her again.

.

Harvey let out a yawn as he searched for the keys to his apartment in his left pocket. His mind immediately reliving the moment Donna had reached for his phone. He had promised to take it slow, he knew that was what she needed, but he was having a really hard time to restrain himself. Especially now that he was allowed to look at her that way, now that's she had given him permission to look at her like that. He just hoped she would waive the rule all together for him. So they could have it all.

He opened the door and spotted the five inch heels next to his door. For a second he wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him or if they had still been there from the week Donna stayed at his apartment, but Donna would never leave a pair of heels behind and that's when he noticed her trench coat hanging on the wall. The soft sounds of Miles Davis coming from his living room. He smiled as he thought about how Donna had given him that record after she had scratched the one from his office.

He entered his living room and spotted Donna wearing his shirt and sweatpants sitting on the ground leaning against his couch. The light coming from the fireplace making her hair even more vibrant. He walked to her slowly, noticing she was already asleep as she didn't respond or acknowledge his presence like she normally would.

He kneeled down next to her, wrapping her arm around his shoulders to carry her towards his bedroom. He pulled back the duvet and lay her down, sliding next to her and pulling her closer. He could feel Donna melt in his arms as she mumbled a hello to him. "Hey," he whispered back in her ear, "I thought you wanted to go home?" he asked her.

"I did," she replied, her hands covering his around her waist, "you're my home." Harvey smiled as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Does that mean you're moving in?" he teased her, knowing she wanted to take things slow. It would probably freak him out if she did, but the other week had made him realise how much he needed her. And how much he had actually missed her these past days.

"No," she mumbled, _not yet._

Harvey swallowed, burying his chin in her neck trying to hide his hurt. He had meant is a joke, but hearing her say no was more difficult than he imagined it to be. Wishing he hadn't asked her, because honestly he didn't understand why she said no, she already had the key and she called him home.


	24. Chapter 24 - Girl Talk

**First of all, I apologize for this lengthy Author's Note, but as was pointed out to me.. this story reached over 200 reviews. And I'm really flabbergasted and truly honoured that it has reached this number. So I really want to thank each and every one of the readers and reviewers, whether you come back and leave a note for every single chapter or just once in a while. I really appreciate it. SO THANK YOU!**

 **It's a real motivation to keep updating, and with that being said. Here's the new chapter; continuing with Harvey and Donna being domestic (something I find challenging but fun to write), so I hope you'll enjoy them together in this way.**

 **I'm glad you were all moved by Donna saying 'you are my home' ...I imagine her being a bit holding back on the compliments and cuteness, but if she says something along those lines it would be a more powerful statement.**

 **Sof lol.. Don't worry you won't have to wait till the kid goes to college**

 **As for the conversation between Donna and Rachel at the end of this chapter... Well, it all started with watching the season 4 gag reel and a simple tweet ( anonymousDH206 if you want to follow) and boy it escalated quickly from that. You all know what you are responsible for. So I won't spoil much, but it is longer than I expected it to be and by that I purely mean the amount of words I devoted to the scene. I hope you are laughing just as hard as I did while writing, you've been warned!**

 **Anyway, enjoy this chapter and maybe leave a review? x**

* * *

 **Chapter 24 – Girl Talk**

Donna could hear him swallow, feel him burying his face in the crook of her neck and she knew what it meant. She knew that even though he had tried to make it sound like a joke, there was more truth to his words than maybe he recognized himself.

She knew that he was hurt, hurt by her words. By her 'no', by her being unable to pronounce the 'not yet' she had wanted to add. "It means I'm staying over at your place tonight," she added for clarification, " and tomorrow… tomorrow you're staying over at my place," she told him, immediately noticing how his grip around her waist relaxed a bit more.

"Am I?" he whispered, raising his head and pulling her closer. "Yes," she mumbled a smile on her face as she turned her head towards him, "Yes you are, after you made me dinner."

.

"Morning," she whispered after she slowly opened her eyes to find Harvey smiling at her. It wasn't his usual smirk, this was new. If she had to describe it she would picture him as a Cheshire cat, a genuine smile from ear to ear. "Morning, beautiful," he mumbled, removing a strand of hair from her face. Placing his thumb under her chin, pulling her towards him until their lips met. Something he had been wanting to do the second he saw her at his place again, last night.

"Beautiful, huh," she repeated his words, questioning him. Letting her head rest on his torso, her right index finger tracing his collarbones, as he moved his hand up and down her back. "What?" he questioned, wondering why she was surprised. Why she decided to question him about it, but he knew. He knew it were words he had never said to her; out loud that is. Cause he had thought them every day. He had even caught himself mumbling them after she had stepped out of his office, feeling lucky that she had never heard it. Not knowing how to explain himself if she did, but those days were over now.

"Nothing," she smiled, "I'm just not used to you calling me that," she whispered. "Well, get used to it, gorgeous," he answered producing his signature smirk for her, his mind already making a list of other adjectives to use for describing the woman in his arms.

"We should get up," Donna whispered then. Pushing herself up, getting ready to get out of bed, but Harvey pulled her back. "Or we could stay here," he countered, "just stay in bed. You and me."

"Naah," Donna mumbled, rolling to the side getting out of the bed. "The day just started. Get out, old man," she teased him. Harvey groaned as he stretched himself out in his bed. "Old man again, huh," he argued as he pulled himself up, leaning against his headboard. "I'll say it one more time. We're the same age, Donna" he countered as he watched her move around in his bedroom. His closet.

She might have said no to moving in, but it sure looked like she belonged there. A smile grew on his face as he saw her opening the drawer that had been hers the week she had lived here with him. How she pulled some clothes out of it, even though he was one hundred percent sure she had taken everything with her when she left that Monday.

Harvey decided to let it go, to not comment on her actions. Just smiling at the sight in front of him, of how she took off his Harvard shirt right there, making him swallow as he took in her bare back. His mind counting all the freckles between her shoulder blades again. Remembering the patterns he once drew between them.

He watched her lean towards the drawer again, exposing a bit of side boob as she reached for a red lace bra. He knew she was doing it on purpose, telling him to take it slow, yet teasing him like this. This little show. It was driving him insane, after all those years not touching her now may even been harder than all those other years combined.

 _But two can play that game,_ he thought as he removed the duvet, walking himself over to Donna. He watched her struggle with the clasp of the bra, taking another step towards her. His fingers trailing along the straps, his lips on her shoulder as his hands closed the clasp.

Donna froze for a second as she felt his lips on her skin, being left with a burning mark as he lifted his head again. His fingers drawing s-shapes down the side of her abdomen sending shivers down her back. She turned around in his arms then, smiling at him as her hands rested on his torso while she stood on her toes. Her lips nearly against his. "Eleven months, Specter," she whispered, "eleven months."

.

"Okay. Okay," Donna laughed looking to her left. "Fine. You're right," she gave in as they climbed the stairs of her apartment building. Harvey raised his eyebrows and looked at her surprised, "say that again?" he asked, but Donna just laughed at him, shaking her head a devilish grin on her face. His pout making her laugh even more. "You were right," she whispered, leaning towards him.

"Damn right I am," Harvey gloated, now showing his Specter smirk to her as he took the extra bags of food from her hand. She looked at him then. Really looked at him, reading his face. Trying to determine why it was so important to hear from her that he was right. "You're jealous," she stated then, a surprised smile on her lips a she searched for her key.

"What, no," Harvey shrugged it off as he waited for her to open the door. "You are, you really are," she continued surprised as they entered the apartment. One of the reasons for her to never reconsider her rule was the fact that he rarely showed any sign of jealousy. And now, now he was the complete opposite. Or maybe it had always been there and she just noticed it now.

"Well," Harvey started as he walked towards her kitchen, "the guy couldn't stop staring at your boobs," he complained. Donna started laughing at his comment, unpacking the bags as she took in his questioning face caused by her reaction. "It happens all the time, get used to it," she told him, as she thought about some of the comments men had made towards her.

"But I was standing right there. Next to you," Harvey argued as he handed her some of the groceries. "it's rude," he concluded. "Were you always this jealous?" she teased him then, now really wanting to know why it bothered him so much.

"Donna, I don't do jealous," he argued again, walking around the counter opening the cabinets and reaching for some bowls, but the look on her face showed that she was seeing right through him. "Fine. Yes, I was," he confessed then, causing Donna to smile at him.

"Besides Stephen," she mumbled, still feeling uncomfortable bringing up that man, "it never really showed. Why?" she asked, placing the chopping boards on the kitchen counter. "Your rule," Harvey commented placing the vegetables in front of Donna, "I tried to respect your rule, but now. I mean… the guy kept staring and I was literally standing right there."

Donna shook her head, looking over her shoulder at him. "Maybe you can find comfort in the idea that you're the only one allowed to touch," she commented before she continued chopping the tomatoes in front of her. Harvey couldn't help but grin at her words, she always had this way of knowing exactly what to say to him, stepping towards her. His hands resting on her hips as he placed his lips on the exposed skin of her shoulder. His hands travelling upwards as he kept placing kisses down her neck.

"Harvey, we're making dinner," Donna whispered turning her head slightly to the right. "And if I remember correctly, which of course I do, you promised me to do the cooking," she tapped her hand on the counter. "You tricked me into that promise," he whispered continuing kissing her neck, "and I could multitask."

"I know for fact that you can't, Harvey," Donna countered as she tried to chop some more tomatoes.

Harvey sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this argument. "Why do you work for me again," he questioned now leaning on the counter next to her, looking at her handling the knife. Finding himself mesmerized by every movement she made.

"Because we both know you wouldn't survive a day without me," Donna smirked, standing on her toes placing a kiss on his cheek. "Now get your ass into action and help me with this cooking."

.

Donna watched Harvey stir around the pan as she was setting the table. She smiled at the thought of how natural this all felt, them hanging out together after work. During the weekend. Being romantically involved now, but somehow she still found it difficult to go all in. To give her all. After more than a decade it was just too difficult to let the walls come down all at once. Something she noticed it to be a lot easier for Harvey than for her. Or so it seemed at least, after all these years still surprised to see this different side of him.

 _"I don't think you know how hard he's trying," she defended him to Scottie. "I know he's trying," the female senior partner countered, making it sound like a fact, "I'm just not sure that it's good enough," she added._

 _Donna couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You knew who he was, Scottie," she shot back, frowning at her._

 _Scottie nodded, letting her head hang down. "And I thought he would change," she confessed then. "I think he has changed," Donna countered thinking about Harvey, "and if it's not enough for you, then –"_

 _"That's not the problem," Scottie interrupted her, "I think that he's changed too much."_

She could still hear Scottie saying it. Her words about how he had changed. Too much according to Scottie, but she knew that he hadn't. That he was just slowly starting to show who he had always been deep down. And she loved that aspect of him, how he was actually a very caring person, something she had noticed in him all those years ago. But as the years went by, less of that became visible. He deliberately chose not to show it.

She then realised that she, Donna, was the person he decided to show it to. Even if she had have to wait for it for over a decade. How incredibly lucky she was to see him opening up to her; that she was the one he could be his true self with. In every aspect of his character; the hard-ass no nonsense lawyer, the caring brother, her best friend.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked as he felt her eyes burn on him. "Nothing," she mumbled, a smile on her lips. "I was just watching you for a second. Getting used to this image," she confessed. "Quite the image it is," Harvey smirked.

"It is," Donna confirmed not even surprised by his answer, walking back to the kitchen again, "until that sauce if going to simmer. You might want to put on the apron." He rolled his eyes at her words. "Donna, I'm not going to wear that apron," Harvey countered looking at the piece of fabric hanging on his right, "besides there's no way this sauce…Shit!" Harvey exclaimed as he stared at the red stains on his T-shirt. "Don't you dare laugh or say I told you so," he mumbled looking at her.

Donna bit her tongue as she walked over to him, "Ooh, I'm not finding this funny at all," she continued as she lifted his shirt, exposing his bare torso. She placed his shirt on the counter, reaching for the apron and moving the strap over his head. Her fingers caressing his back before she tied the apron together. "I'll go fix your shirt," she mumbled placing a kiss on his lips.

"Your shirt is drying," she told him as she walked back, handing him his old Harvard shirt. The one she had at her place, "here you go," she whispered. "Thanks," he smiled, taking the apron off and putting on the shirt. "Dinner's ready," he told her as he directed her to the table.

.

Harvey reached for the remote as he settled himself down on her couch, letting his feet rest on her coffee table. "What do you want to watch?" he asked, letting his head fall down on the back rest of the couch to look at her.

"Uhm," Donna mumbled as she walked over to the couch, placing her hands on either side of his head. Bending forward until her head was hanging above his. "I've got this movie you've been bugging me to watch," she said.

"Sounds good," he smirked looking at her. "Good," Donna whispered as she lowered her head and kissed him, before settling on the couch next to him. His right arm wrapped around her shoulder as she let her head rest on his torso.

"God, Woman," Harvey nagged as Donna moved around for the umpteenth time during the movie, "can't you just sit still already." She moved once more. "Yeah ..," Donna mumbled as she brought her hands to her back, "it's just …," she continued as she undid the clasp of her bra. ".. that my breasts are hurting," she said as she removed the piece of clothing from under her button down dress shirt.

"Aah, that's better," she sighed throwing her bra aside as she settled on the couch next to Harvey again, but this time he didn't wrap his arm around her, instead he just looked at her. His eyebrows raised as he questioned her actions, a smirk smile appearing on his face as he pulled her on his lap.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she watched his hands starting to undo the buttons of her dress. "I'm," he mumbled as his hands moved down to the next button and the next, slowly revealing her bare chest, "checking if everything is okay," he told her, his hands now working on the last button, before he moved the dress aside. Taking in her beauty, appreciating the view in front of him.

"They look the same," he commented as he pulled the dress over her shoulders, bringing his hands towards her hips. "Perfect," he added, causing her to let out a small laugh. His hands trailed upwards, his touch still having the same effect it always had. Sending shivers down her spine and butterflies to her stomach. He let his hands rest just under her breast for a second, his thumbs caressing the space below them, before his hands cupped her breasts. "They feel the same," he stated as he felt her nipples harden against the palm of his hand.

"Do they?" Donna whispered as she leaned forward a bit, her hands trailing down his torso. Tugging the edge of the Harvard shirt. Harvey nodded, his hands moving to her back, pulling her closer to him. His lips finding the spot between her breasts, placing kisses from there all over her breasts until his mouth reached her nipple again. Softly sucking on it, making Donna throw her head back moaning his name.

"They. Taste. The. Same," he mumbled in between the kisses he placed from her breasts up to her neck. "So everything is okay?" Donna whispered, her hands following the edge of the shirt to his back. Letting her fingers caress his skin as she pulled his shirt over his head.

"Everything is okay," Harvey whispered as he helped her remove his shirt, throwing it aside before pulling her back against him. Needing more physical contact, pressing her chest against his bare torso. The warmth of her body and the firmness of her nipples touching his skin making him even more turned on. "Everything is perfectly fine," he whispered, his lips touching hers again.

"Perfect," she breathed on his lips, letting her forehead rest on his before she sucked on his top lip. Waiting for him to kiss her, a question he answered in mere seconds, his hands moving up and down her back, hers playing with his hair. Alternating different paces as if it was their usual daily banter; he kissed her like he was in charge, before she completely took over and showed him how it was done. Just like at work.

She pulled back then, gasping for air as she stared into his eyes. Her chest moving up and down with every breath she took, a smile forming on her lips as she kept looking at him. Both of them just staring in each other's eyes for a couple of seconds, lost for words, before Donna moved towards him again.

"Bedroom," she whispered in his ear, before nipping on his ear lope. "You sure," he whispered, making sure she was really okay with what was happening. She had told him to take things slow after all. "Yes," she mumbled placing kissed down his jaw until her lips savoured his again, her words and kisses making Harvey move his hands down her back, lifting her up as he turned towards the bedroom.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she slowly kissed him. Her arms around his neck, waiting for him to place her down on top of her duvet. Something he did, not long after his knee reached the edge of her bed leaning onto it as he slowly leaned forward.

His lips never leaving hers as he lay her down, making Donna place her legs on either side of his body. Her hands caressing his face again, making him stop for a second to look at her, before he continued placing kisses down her body. From her neck to the soft spot just above her collarbone, between her breasts down to her belly button, making Donna arch her back. "Harv...ey," she moaned as his fingers traced the edge of her panty, his lips pressed against the fabric.

"Wait," Harvey mumbled as his head shot back up, looking at her. "You're lucky that I love you," Donna commented as she leaned on her elbows looking at him. A confused expression on his face, "cause otherwise I might kill you if you stop now."

Harvey smirked at hearing those words, crawling back up to her. Pressing his lips against hers. "it's just.. maybe we shouldn't with you being pregnant," he mumbled, "I mean can we .."

"Harvey," Donna laughed as she pulled him closer, "you do know this takes nine months," she whispered in his ear, her hands trailing down his back until she reached his jeans. Her fingers opening the belt buckle, as she kissed him again. "I'm. Not. Waiting. That. Long," she mumbled in between kisses, "so get back to work," she ordered removing his belt. "I love you," he whispered, his hands removing the hair from her face as he kissed her again.

.

Harvey woke up the next morning, a naked Donna still in his arms. Her head on his chest, their legs entangled. He watched her smile in her sleep and he could only wonder what she was dreaming about. He wondered how he got so lucky to have her in his life. In every way possible and he mentally cursed himself again for not acting sooner.

"I can hear the gears in your head turning," Donna commented, using the words he usually said to her, as she drew patterns on his torso. "What were you thinking about?" she asked curiously, listening to his heart beat. "You," he whispered, moving his left hand through her hair. "Just thinking about how lucky I am."

"Told you, you wouldn't want to share," she gloated as she stretched her body, letting her arms rest on his torso as she kissed him. "I do have to share you," he whispered, looking at her. Donna raised her eyebrows, but before she could question him he clarified, "in nine months, but there's no one in the world I would want to share you with more." "

So," he mumbled then, "what do you want to do today?" he asked, letting his fingers run up and down her back. "Actually," Donna whispered letting her chin rest on his torso, "Rachel is coming over this afternoon to talk about the wedding."

"Ooh, Donna, I don't know about that. Us. Marriage," he teased her. Donna rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. She couldn't help but smile at the expression on his face. "Yeah," he mumbled, "I know.. I know.. we've already been married for nine years."

"You're such a romantic, Specter," she whispered bringing her lips to his again.

.

"So, where do you want to start?" Donna asked, spotting the list of potential wedding bands on her coffee table, as she settled herself down on her couch. A cup of mint tea in her hands. "Uhm," Rachel mumbled as she settled herself on the couch next to Donna, "how about we start with the most important emotional question."

"Sorry, what?" Donna shot back, almost choking on her tea. "Ooh, come on. Donna, you're glowing," Rachel stated pointing at her best friend, "been doing a lot of yoga?" she teased her, sipping her tea. But she knew it was true, Mike had told her they decided to try.

Donna blushed letting her head hang down, "I slept with Harvey," she confessed. Rachel smiled, "I know, I figured. So, how big was it? Was it good? How long did it last?"

"Rach!" Donna screamed out, surprised by the words of her best friend, thinking about a way to get out of this conversation. "Rach, you don't want to know. Eeeew. He's your boss," she reasoned. "He's your boss too," Rachel countered taking another sip if her tea looking at Donna over her cup of tea, "and no I don't, but I know you want to talk about it.. so. Good?"

Donna let out a breath, remembering the other time. Last week and last night. "I thought last weekend was good, but last night… last night was on another level," she concluded. "Wait last week," Rachel repeated, "what happened last week? Mike just told me you guys are going to try."

"You know we had to live together for a week and well, it just happened. And it was amazing and everything I remembered it to be..," Donna paused for a second. "And then we had a little miscommunication, but yes. We're going to try. He told me he loved me," she told Rachel a big smile on her face.

"Ooooh," Rachel chirped, "I'm so happy for you, Donna. Really, so back to the most important emotional question. I'm just going to count the inches and you can stop me anytime."

"Rach, seriously," Donna shot back, "you're going to ignore the fact that he told me he loved me and go back to this," Donna tried again, emphasizing the word 'love'. Rachel just nodded a devilish smile on her face, this was definitely payback for the time Donna questioned her about Mike. At the firm of all places. "So I guess can skip one inch, can I.." she teased Donna, "and two.. I mean… I hope I can. Harvey has got quite big feet… Okay, so three … four … five?" Rachel started counting.

"Oh my god, Rach," Donna screamed out again, she wasn't used to being questioned like this. It's what she would normally do herself. "Six?" Rachel continued with a straight face, "Is he a grower or a shower by the way?"

"Okay, just stop okay.. I'm not going to answer it!" Donna told, a blush on her face. She wondered what was worse, these questions by Rachel or Louis coming after her at the mock trial. "It's doesn't come with its own theme song now?" Rachel continued. Donna frowned, raising her shoulders, "Uhm what?" she asked, confused as to what Rachel meant. Her mind still deciding on which was worse.

Rachel laughed, reaching for her phone. She searched for the song from 'the sweetest thing' and hit play, letting the song fill the silence between them. "Rachel!" Donna screamed out after listening to it for a couple of seconds, "Oh my God."

"So?" Rachel pushed, trying to make Donna cave. "It fits just perfectly," Donna mumbled, "and that's all I'm telling you," she warned this time. "Guess it still works then," Rachel joked. "Okay.. okay. I'm sorry. I'll stop," she apologized, "So he told you he loved you?"


	25. Chapter 25 - Clueless

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! I'm glad you all enjoyed that conversation between Donna & Rachel; it was hilarious to write. At Kathi H.. the baby will of course be discussed more in future chapters :) It has taken a bit longer to update, because I'm very busy with university again which limits my time to write. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. Happy Halloween and maybe leave a review?**

* * *

 **Chapter 25 - Clueless**

Harvey watched Rachel enter his office, a big smile on her face. He wondered if she was about to jump on her place and clap too, but that didn't happen. _Thankfully._ "What are you smiling about?" he asked, faking annoyance, "didn't I give you enough to work on?"

Rachel just smirked and shook her head, she knew exactly what he was doing. "You told her you loved her," Rachel chirped, letting her hands rest on the chair in front of Harvey's desk. A big smile on her face. "I did," Harvey confirmed.

"Good," Rachel replied simply, happy for her best friend. "Good?" Harvey echoed, not sure why Rachel responded this way. He had expected her to be more excited. "Yeah," Rachel replied, "I mean we all knew it…so I'm glad you were finally able to say it."

"Did Donna put you up to this?" he asked as he recognized the words she used, angling his head a bit to the right, looking at Donna who just smirked at him. Her eyebrows and shoulders raised as if she had no idea what he was referring to.

.

Around lunch time Harvey looked up from his desk, but he didn't see the redhead outside his office. He frowned and got out of his chair as he walked over to her desk. He hadn't really spoken to her all day, well that was a lie. He hadn't really touched or kissed her today and it had now come to the point that he just needed to see her in order for him to focus on anything else for the rest of the day.

His feet dragged him towards the partners kitchen, but he spotted her in his mentors office immediately. He lowered his pace, deciding if he should or shouldn't enter. But he decided on the first, he just had to see her. "Harvey," Jessica greeted him.

"Ladies," he replied to both of them, letting his left hand rest on Donna's back as he stopped next to her. "What did I miss?" he asked as both of the women had stopped talking the second he had entered the office of the managing partner.

"Nothing," Donna replied a secretive tone in her voice, causing Harvey to question the expressing on her face, but when he came up blank he just looked at the other woman in the room. "Jessica?" he asked then. Jessica just smiled at him, noticing how close they were standing. "Nothing," she mimicked Donna's words, "I just needed Donna's opinion for something," she added, but it didn't clarify much.

"Fine," he mumbled, "if you'll excuse us Jessica. I need Donna for something," he told the managing partner as he turned around and left the office. Donna just stared at Jessica, her mouth slightly apart. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "apparently I'm needed elsewhere," she added pointing to Harvey outside.

"He really can't function without you," Jessica commented shaking her head, making Donna laugh before she stepped out of the office too. "I heard that," Harvey shot back, before he directed Donna towards the partners kitchen.

.

"What did you need me for?" she asked leaning against the counter to reach for two cups from one of the top cabinets. Making both of them a drink. "Nothing," Harvey mumbled in the same tone she had done before as he stepped behind her. His hands on her waist, his lips in her neck. "I just wanted to do this," he whispered placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

She smiled, but playfully slapped him on his chest while turning to face him. "Harvey -," she tried but he kissed her. She pulled away not short after, she didn't say anything but gave him a warning look. "So," Harvey mumbled letting her go reluctantly, "what was all that with Jessica about?"

"Ooh nothing really," she smiled. He raised his eyebrows, still questioning her answer. "You're far to chirpy for it to be nothing," he commented. "Really Harvey it's no big deal. Jessica asks me every year and I'm happy to organize it."

Harvey still didn't know what she's talking about, there was more than one firm wide event Donna organized or helped organize on a yearly basis. But when his eyes caught the calendar on the opposing wall a light bulb went on in his head. It was October. Which meant Halloween, only Donna's favourite holiday.

"Okay," he decided then; he knew enough and Halloween wasn't really his cup of tea any way. "So what do you want to do tonight?" he asked, changing the subject. "Well, actually," Donna mumbled, looking at him, "Rachel is coming over for wedding planning stuff."

"Didn't you two do that last Sunday?" he asked, a frown on his face. "In light of recent events that topic hasn't been discussed yet," she told him, a devilish grin on her face. "What on earth did you spend the entire day talking about?" he asked. "I only said good things about you," she whispered placing a kiss on his cheek, before she walked out of the partners kitchen.

"Ooh, God," he shot back, "I don't even want to know."

.

.

A week later Donna was already halfway with the planning of this year's Halloween party at Pearson Specter Litt. Something that required her to leave her desk more often than she usually would, meaning she hadn't spent much time with Harvey in the past days. When Donna walked back towards her desk, a smile appeared on her face as she spotted Harvey sitting in her chair.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, her eyebrows raised as she turned to the right and entered his office. "Waiting for you," he replied leaning back in her chair. Turning towards his office to just watch her. "Ooh in that case," she continued as she placed the files on his desk before sitting down in his chair. A big smirk on her face as she demonstratively sat down in his desk chair, before she pressed the button of the intercom.

"Could you get me a cup of tea?" she asked letting her feet rest on his desk. "And why don't you get yourself something too." Harvey laughed, shaking his head. "I never ask you for those kind of things," he argued over the intercom. "That's because I anticipate your needs, I'm Donna," she shot back, "but please you would practically call me in to hand you stapler from your desk."

"I do not," he argued, getting out of her chair and walking towards the partners kitchen without saying anything further knowing he would lose this argument anyway. Donna smiled, knowing that he was on his way to get her a cup of tea.

.

Harvey entered his office again, two cups of tea in his hand. One for her and one for him. He walked over to his desk and leaned against it as he handed her the cup, her fingers scraping his as she took it in her hands. Harvey smiled leaning forward a sparkle in his eye she couldn't stop looking at.

"Uhm," Louis coughed as he felt like he was walking into something, "I'm sorry to interrupt," he mumbled. The sound of the cough making Donna immediately turn her head around, "you didn't," she answered just like she would have done all those other years.

Harvey on the other hand sat back up slowly letting out a sigh before he faced the other lawyer. "What do you want Louis?" he asked annoyed. "I uhm, I was wondering if I could borrow Rachel for a case?" Louis asked. "Yeah sure," Harvey answered now standing behind his own desk chair. The one Donna was still sitting in, his fingers in her neck just out of Louis' sight.

Donna let out a breath as the other lawyer had left. Her fingers finding his as she turned around his chair again to face him. "That was close," she whispered. "That was nothing," Harvey whispered leaning towards her again his lips almost touching hers, "imagine him seeing this," he whispered before he quickly placed a kiss on her lips before pulling back immediately.

Taking a sip from his tea, a big grin on his face as he took in the look on Donna's. Her lips still slightly parted, her eyes still closed. "We can't do this Harvey," she whispered then looking at him. "I mean sneaking around at the firm. We should control ourselves," she reasoned.

"Donna, you've driven me insane for over a decade not being able to touch or kiss you. I'm not going to give that up now," he argued. Donna let out a sigh before she looked up at him again. "In that case we should tell them… about us," she concluded, "I mean Rachel and Mike already know, so there's only Jessica and Louis left anyway."

"We're not telling Louis though," he argued. "Harvey," Donna countered, "yes we are. If we're telling Jessica, we have to tell Louis too."

"Fine, but I'm not doing it," he continued. "Ooh, you're such a wuss," she said getting out of his chair walking away. "I'm not," he mumbled walking after her, "where are you going?" he whispered catching up next to her.

"Telling Louis," she smiled, "and you're going to tell Jessica. Now."

.

A couple of hours later Louis walked in the direction of Harvey's office, looking for Donna. But when he didn't see her at her cubicle he entered his fellow name partner's office. "Louis," Harvey greeted the man as Donna turned around to look at the other lawyer.

"Harvey," he replied briefly looking at the other lawyer before he looked at the redhead again, "I was actually looking for Donna," he explained pointing at her. "I heard you wanted to see me?" he asked. "Uhm, yes," she mumbled back, getting out of the chair and walking over to him. "I need to tell you something," she explained.

"Okay," Louis answered intrigued, "but before you do. I have to ask… Have you been doing yoga again?" Donna's mouth dropped a little, she could feel her cheeks starting to blush. "Uhm," she mumbled, "what do you mean Louis?" she tried.

"I mean you're practically glowing," he exclaimed taking in her beauty. "I have to know the secret, it's the gym right. You have to let me join some time." Harvey tried to hold his laugh at how the entire scene in front of him played out as he got out of his chair and walked over to the others. He stopped next to Donna, but she still didn't want to tell Louis what the real meaning behind yoga is.

"I'm sorry Louis, it's just really exclusive," she improvised. "Donna, come on," the lawyer whined, "I mean we've known each other for over twelve years now. Surely you could vouch for me?" he asked. Donna swallowed and looked at Harvey for help, but he was just smiling at Louis as he knew what was going on.

To tease her some more he let his hand rest on her butt and Donna discreetly tried to remove it. "Louis, just so you know yoga is a code name for sex," he told the other lawyer, Donna's fighting his fingers behind her back.

Louis just let out a laugh, feeling a bit uncomfortable at hearing Harvey's words. "Yeah and how do you know that," he made the mistake to comment. "I happen to know the instructor," Harvey gloated, a smirk on his face. His comment leaving Donna speechless.

Louis now only spotted how the back of their hands are touching in between them, how their fingers were intertwined. "OMG," he mumbled taking a step back, "I need a day," he continued walking out of Harvey's office. "Well that was fun," Harvey smirked, pulling her closer, but she shook her head.

"Louis," she called out increasing her step to catch up with the man.

.

Donna crawled onto the couch next to Harvey, a small box in her hand. "I think we might have ruined him," she whispered, making Harvey laugh. "Did he need more than a day?" he joked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She sighed, turning a bit towards him. "Harvey that's not funny," she sighed. "I mean I just told him about us … what will happen when he finds out about this," she continued handing him the box.

Harvey raised his eyebrows. "What's this?" he asked. Donna smiled, giving him a kiss on his cheek. "I mean we already knew, but I thought you might want to see it anyway." He slowly lifted the lid from the box, a smile forming on his face when he spotted the pregnancy test in it.

"Make it a bit more real," she whispered, knowing that until know he just had to believe her on her word. He turned to face her, tears from happiness forming in his eyes. "I love you," he mumbled before he kissed her.

.

.

The next weekend Donna convinced Harvey to go to a pumpkin patch just out of the city. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been to such a site. He must still have been a kid. "Ooh, it will be fun," she had said and he tried to believe her, but walking around on a field just wasn't his kind of thing. "Why are we doing this again?" he asked her as she kept saying no to all the pumpkins he pointed at.

"Because I love Halloween and.." she paused for a second as she turned towards him, letting her hands rest on his chest "... And you love me," she whispered. "I do," he answered giving her a kiss. "But why are you so particular about the pumpkin we pick?" he asked sincerely. It were pumpkins after all.

"Because it's our first holiday as a couple," she reasoned, "and I want it to be perfect. Besides we're not just getting one pumpkin," she continued as she reached for his hand and dragged him along the field. "We need one for you and one for me."

.

"So are you sure you want these two?" Harvey asked as he pointed at the two pumpkins in front of them. "I don't know," she mumbled ashamed. It was the fifth combination of pumpkins she had picked out and she was pretty sure Harvey was about to lose his patience. "Why don't you pick them?" she offered in the end.

Harvey sighed. "Fine," he whined, "we'll take that one and this one," he continued as he picked them up and started walking towards the car. Donna couldn't help but wonder how quick he could make such a decision. "Why these two?" she asked curiously.

"Because this one is bright orange and reminds me of you, and …" he paused as he looked around the field. "And we need that one to he said as he pointed to a small one with his foot." Donna picked up the smaller example, a smile growing on her face as she knew why he picked a third one. "For our little pumpkin," he added, making Donna's heart melt.

.

.

 ***October 31st***

"What are you chirping about?" he asked walking towards her. Letting his hands rest on her hips. "Ooh wait let me guess... Me?" he gloated. "The party," she replied with a smile, "but I'm also happy about you."

"Ooh no.. Halloween?" He asked already knowing the answer. "Yes, and I have the perfect costumes for us," she continued. Stepping on her toes to kiss him. "Wait us?" he replied pushing her back a little, "Donna I don't – "

"Yes you do!" she argued, looking all serious. "We will celebrate Halloween together just like twelve years ago."

.

 _He watched her enter his office, she seemed even more happy than usual. Her smile still making his knees week. "What's going on?" he asked her. "What do you mean?" she returned the question handing him some files._

 _He smiled taking the files over from her, his fingers scraping by her hand as he reached for her wrist, pulling her a bit closer. "You have this look on your face," he mumbled, not willing to admit he had secretly studied her expressions this past month. "You look really happy. Who's the lucky guy?" he teased her._

 _She laughed off his comment. "It's Halloween, Harvey," she had told him, "we're having a party at the office tonight. You should join." He raised his shoulders. "I don't know, Donna," he mumbled, "Halloween isn't really –"_

 _"Aaaw, come on, Specter," she whined. "It will be fun. I promise," she smiled at him. "Okay," he smiled watching her walk back to her desk. "Ooh, Harvey," she said as she stopped in the doorway, turning around, "give me your address and I'll send over a costume."_

 _"A what?" he mumbled looking at her confused. "A costume," she repeated rolling her eyes, "one that you will wear when I see you tonight."_

 _He had stepped into the office that evening in a black leather batman costume. He wondered how a woman he had only met a month ago could already have him wind around her little finger. To the point that he actually went somewhere dressed up. He scanned the room, looking for the particular woman in question. But all he saw was Cameron Dennis running around dressed as a cowboy. "OMG," he mumbled out loud, wishing he'd be able to forget that image soon._

 _"You looking for me, Batman?" he heard her say as she held her hands in front of his eyes. "Donna," he greeted her, a smile forming on his lips. He was more than curious about her costume. "No," she replied removing her hands, "I'm not Donna tonight," she flirted walking around to face him._

 _Harvey swallowed taking in her figure, the black spandex body suit showing more of her body he had ever seen before, but only making him crave her even more. "Cat woman," he replied, trying to hide how turned on the pure sight of her was making him right now._

 _She reached for his hand and dragged him towards the dance floor. "Drinks?" Harvey suggested instead, dancing with her would only increase the current problem. "Sure," she whispered walking so closely besides him towards the table that he could feel the tears in the fabric of her pants. Showing just little pieces of her skin. He had to restrain himself form hooking his fingers between these tears, just to feel the skin of her thighs._

 _The zipper of her body suit opened even more when she bent forward to reach for the cups, and he was pretty sure his tongue was hanging out of his mouth now that she was standing on the opposite side of the table. Giving him a more than generous view of her cleavage. He was also pretty sure she was doing it on purpose, just to tease or test him. Something that was clearly working as he could feel his leather pants getting tighter by the minute._

 _His eyes followed her every move as she danced. How her hips were swaying on the rhythm of the music, her arms in the air. He wished it wasn't an office party or he would have danced with her, maybe because he wasn't that much of a dancer but for her he would have made an exception. He watched her dance some more, downing a glass of scotch himself every time some guy from the office came near her. He smiled as he noticed how she had all sent them away. One after the other. Every single time. She just danced alone, as if she was doing it on purpose. As if she was purely dancing for him and at the end of the night she had._

 _They were the only two left in the room, but it didn't change the way it made him feel. She had, albeit the short time they knew each other, always made him feel as if it was just the two of them. She walked up to him and reached for his hand. Pulled him towards her on the dancefloor. "There's no one watching," she whispered, "so if you've been avoiding the dancefloor because you can't dance… it doesn't matter anymore. There will be no one to judge."_

 _"Ooh, I can dance," he had said cockily, the alcohol to blame. A smirk on his face. "Dance with me tonight, batman," she whispered, stepping closer, "just this last song." He wrapped his arms around her waist, her arms falling around his neck. They slowly moved over the dancefloor. No weird or overly seductive moves, just the two of them swaying on the music._

 _The song ended as his hands moved towards her hips, not wanting to let go just yet. Her fingers lingered on his cheeks as she removed his mask. "Thank you," she whispered placing a kiss on his cheek. "For what?" he had asked. "For celebrating Halloween with me."_

 _"Always," he had mumbled so softly she didn't hear it, but they never did again. The next Halloween being just three months after the other time._

 _._

Harvey thought about that party she mentioned. It had been within the first months he started working at the D.A.'s office and he had no idea that when Donna asked him to come it was going to be this big. That she had been the one organizing it all. "Please tell me you still have that cat woman costume," he answered then.

Donna laughed at the sudden glistering in his eyes. "Maybe," she teased him pushing him onto the bed, stepping in between his legs. "Maybe," she whispered, "that's your outfit by the way," she added pointing at the clothes on the bed.

Harvey let his hands run up and down her back. "Can't I just go as a lawyer?" he asked, looking over his shoulder to the clothes, but they didn't give him any clue as to what he was supposed to be. "If it is any consolation, you actually are going as one," she told him reaching for the cap and placing it backwards on his head.

"Please tell me you aren't dying your hair brown," he answered a worried look on his face. Donna took a step back confused. "What? Why would I do that?" she asked him. "Well obviously your dressing me up as Mike with these baggy pants and shirt, which means you are going as Rachel, but just so you know. He isn't really a lawyer."

"OMG," she screamed out laughing. Tears running down her face as she couldn't control her giggles caused by what Harvey thought his costume was. "OMG."

"What?" he asked confused, reaching for her hand again, making her sit on his lap. "What kind of costume is this supposed to be then?" She wrapped her arms around him. "For once Harvey Specter doesn't have a clue," she whispered in his ear. "Just put it on," she told him, placing a kiss on his cheek before leaving him alone in his bedroom.

.

"You ready?" she asked him, peaking her head out of the bathroom. "Yeah," he mumbled looking down at his outfit. "But seriously, Donna. What is this for t-shirt?" he asked tugging the edge of his white 'Amnesty International' shirt.

"Harv, it's your outfit," she argued, "You'll understand when you see mine," she told him walking towards him. He took in her black pumps and white socks that reached over her knees. Topped off with a yellow plaid mini skirt and jacket paired with a what he hoped to be a blonde wig.

A smile growing on his face as he realised who they were now. "You could have just told me if you're into greasy hair and baggy pants," he teased her, "then I wouldn't have put on a three piece suit every day."

"As if," she replied in her best Alicia Silverstone impersonation. A smile growing on her face as he held her in his arms. "But you can expect me to swoon," she added before she kissed him, "you can always make me swoon."


	26. Chapter 26 - Thank You

**Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews, the favs and the messages! It really means a lot to me. Without much further ado, here's the next chapter.. I know it's been a long wait, so I hope you like it. I do have to earn you though, the middle part is M rated.. So you've been warned. I really hope you enjoy it, and maybe leave a review? X**

 **Chapter 26: Thank You**

The young lawyer smiled at his fiancée as the two of them walked through the hallway of the fiftieth floor, her hand reaching for the envelope in his hand. "I can't believe they are actually together now," the female associate mumbled.

"They have been for over a month now," Mike countered confused.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him, "I know.. I know, but," she paused flashing the envelope in front of his face. "this.. an invitation for a Thanksgiving dinner in two weeks. Their dinner, they are throwing it together," she continued smiling, "that's huge."

"It's just dinner," Mike countered grabbing the invitation again.

"It's never just dinner, Mike," Rachel shot back, "especially not with those two. Look," she continued pointing at the bottom line. "It says 'Donna and Harvey Specter'."

"Okay," he replied letting out a sigh, "I'll let him know we'll attend this not just a dinner then."

.

Mike looked at the piece of paper in his hand again. 'Donna and Harvey Specter,' he repeated in his head as he walked passed the desk of the redhead. Too busy with the meaning of that line to realize the woman in question wasn't even there. He slowly opened the door to his mentors office, greeting the men inside.

"Harvey, here are the files of the Pharmaceutics case," he said handing him the corresponding files.

"Thanks," the older lawyer replied not looking up to the pup, buried in his own paper work.

"Hey, about the thanksgiving dinner," Mike mumbled.

"The what?" Harvey repeated, not really following the current conversation, his reaction making Mike raise his eyebrows.

"I'll just talk to Donna," the younger man continued as he looked over his shoulder in her direction, "where is she by the way?"

Harvey now looked up to the pup, his gaze shifting into the direction of her desk, the words of his protégé still in his mind. "Hmmm," he mumbled. "Strange she said she'd follow me later this morning. I should call her," Harvey now thought out loud.

Mike swallowed hearing his boss speak about his Donna this way, he really had changed. Maybe the 'Donna and Harvey Specter' thing had some special meaning after all. "I'm sure she'll be here soon," Mike continued as he walked out of the door, turning around one last time. "Ooh and for thanksgiving, Rachel and I will be there!"

.

His eyes still fixated on the desk in front of him, he reached for his phone. His fingers automatically dialling her number; the only number he knew. And not just because she was under number one of his speed dials. Just like her address, he had never been able to forget about her phone number. He let out a heavy breath as he hears her voice mail for the second time in a row. "Donna," he mumbled to himself, swallowing away his thoughts, his eyes still directed towards her desk.

Absentmindedly he closed his laptop and his feet carried him through the hallway of the fiftieth floor, his fingers impatiently tapping against the button of the elevator. The ride down took exactly as long as it did every day, yet it felt ten times longer. His eyes now only staring at the numbers above the door. His foot tapped against the floor, his fingers starting to undo his tie as it felt like it was suffocating him.

He ran outside, his eyes cringing by the sun, he covered his face with his hand as he looked around. He didn't even bother to call Ray, his hand already hailing a cab. He practically shouted his own address to driver, his fingers frantically typing her number again. His heart beat starting to rise every time he heard it go to her voice mail. His mind going over every possible scenario, one even worse than the other.

He rushed himself inside, his fingers fidgeting with his keys as he tried to open the door. "Donna," he called out the second he stepped inside. "Donna?" he repeated when there was no reply, desperation now clearly recognizable in his voice. He threw his jacket off as he walked through the place, his eyes quickly scanning the living room as his feet carried him to the place he had last seen her this morning. His bedroom.

"Donna?" he tried again, the sight of his empty bed feeling like a punch in the stomach. The sound of soft sobs making his head turn around, a ray of light coming from the bathroom giving her location away. He threw open the door, his heart dropping as he saw Donna sitting on the ground. Her back up against the tub and her arms wrapped around her own torso, still wearing his Harvard shirt. He took in the dazed look on her face, her slightly swollen eyes making him swallow. He'd never been the one to handle seeing her cry.

"Donn," he whispered dropping to his knees next to her. "Donna, are you alright?" he asked his hands running over her arms. She lifted her head, her lips slightly parted, but her eyes weren't meeting his. "And the baby?" he continued before she could say anything.

"Seven weeks," she mumbled still staring in the distance. "Seven weeks."

He cupped her face, his thumb running over her cheek wiping away a tear. His eyes finally meeting hers. "Is everything okay?" he whispered, barely able to pronounce the words as his eyes started to fill with tears too.

"I guess. Yes," she mumbled nodding softly. Her reaction causing him to let out a sigh, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her closer. "But … I … I'm scared," she mumbled her lips in his neck. "Last time…"

"Donn," he whispered placing a kiss on the top of her head, his hand running through her hair. "Everything is going to be okay," he continued.

"Really?" she whispered so softly he could barely hear it.

"I promise," he answered his hand running over her arm as he felt her shiver against him. He turned around a bit, opening the tab of the bathtub. "Let's get you warmed up," he added lifting her up.

She nodded at him a small smile on her lips as she let him lift her shirt. He looked at her bare chest, absentmindedly biting his lower lip. "This looks like a deja vu," she mumbled her eyes searching for his.

He shook his head hearing her words. "No," he mumbled. "Last time you were still wearing a bra... and I was trying to," but he didn't finish his sentence. Instead he closed the tab, waiting for her to remove her final piece of clothing and helping her get in the bath. He watched her sit down in the middle, wrapping her arms around her legs again, he let out a sigh. He'd hope she'd lay down and relax for a while, but she just looked lost.

He kicked of his shoes, his fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt. Quickly undressing himself he took place in the bath behind her. "Lay down," he whispered, his hands on her shoulders, pulling her against him. She rested her head against his chest, just listening to the beating of his heart as she felt the warm touch of his lips against her temple. His fingers drew patterns on her skin until he let his hand rest just below her belly button. Both of them remaining silent.

"You had the same look on your face though," she told him then breaking the silence, slightly lifting her head to look at him.

He looked at her, swallowing because he knew she was telling the truth. "Yeah.. well I can't help it," he concluded, wrapping his arms around her stomach. "You're .. you're just…"

She smiled at him, her fingers running over his arms. "Am I?" she whispered, already knowing what he was going to say.

He gave her his signature smirk, bringing his left hand to her cheek. His thumb going over her lips, before he leaned into her. His warm breath making her part her lips even before she felt his moist lips against hers. Her eyes closed the second they met, the way he sucked on her bottom lips sending a shiver down her spine like it was the first time they kissed. Her right hand moving over his jaw as she tried to turn towards him a bit more, needing to be closer. Only pulling back as both of them needed to catch a breath, their temples pressed together as they breathed the other. "I love you," he whispered on her lips, his nose brushing against hers.

She laughed against his lips, her hot breath making him want to kiss her again, but her hand on his cheek is holding him at distance. She didn't let him, not yet, the accompanied sparkle in her eyes driving him insane. He opened his mouth, ready to pronounce her name, to beg her for more, but once again she didn't let him. Her lips covering his, their tongues finally touching, his hand moving down her neck until his fingers reach her breasts. Softly massaging them in the same rhythm as the dialogue of their tongues he waited for nipples to harden against the palm of his hand.

She moaned some inaudible words as his lips left hers, his name leaving her lips as his lips trailed down her jaw. Leaving kisses until he sucked on her earlobe. His warm breath in her neck as he inhaled her scent. She arched her back at his fingers brushing against her nipple again. The way her hips moved back against him making him even more turned on. Drawing smoothing patterns down her stomach until he buried his hand between her legs, making her hips roll against his arousal.

She felt him growing against her with every move she made. Every move she made caused by the finger that was slipped inside her. Heavily breathing she brought her right arm upwards, wrapping it around his neck pulling herself closer to him, angling her hips in the movement giving his hand better access. The way is thumb is pressing against her most sensitive spot making her moan his name, but he silenced her with his lips, his fingers making sure she'd come against him.

He smiled, pressing a kiss next to her eye as he felt her body relax against him, her head back on his shoulder. His heart warmed as she told him she loved him. His lips finding hers again, as he let her turn around. Placing her knees on either side of his body, her warm hand already on him. Around him. "Donna," he breathed gently biting her lips, the teasing touches of her fingers taking him to another level. "Donna, please," he begged, his hands running over the side of her waist.

She pulled back, letting out a laugh. The sound of her voice warming his heart, just like always but right now it was pure torture. Pure torture the way she let go of him, lifting herself up a bit, letting her hands run over his shoulders to his neck. She pressed her torso against his chest, her hands tilting his head backwards, her fingers playing with his hair. She hovered her head above his, giving him a wink as she leaned towards him kissing him again.

He lets his hands run down over her back, his fingers hooking around her thighs as he made her sit down on his lap again. He could feel her soft spot against him and he wanted nothing more than to be inside her right now. His hands moved to her hips and this time he didn't have to ask, as she already anticipated his move. They worked in sync as she leaned backwards, letting him slowly and deeply slide inside her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

She rolled against his hips with every thrust he's giving. Burying himself inside her more and more, her nails pressed into his shoulders, not willing to let him go. Throwing her head back as his lips travelled down her neck again. She could feel he was close, her hands cupped his face just before. Wanting to kiss him when he did, feel his breath tickle her lips as he called out her name. She held his face, her eyes meeting his as she smiled. Her fingers wiping away some of the sweat along his hair line, before she let him rest his head in her neck. She pressed her lips against his temple this time, both remaining in silence.

.

She looked at his reflection in the mirror, a smile growing on her lips as he looked at her too. She turned towards him, her hands going to the towel he used to dry his hair. She fought his hands until he'd let her take over. Pressing a kiss against his nose as she tossed the towel away, her fingers now just playing with his hair. "I like your hair like this," she confessed out of the blue.

He let out a laugh as he looked at his mirror image, his eyes meeting hers again shortly after. Taking a step towards her he brought a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his hands trail down before letting them rest on her waist. "I like you like this," he answered, "wearing my shirt, just you."

She stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I like us like this," she concluded, "together."

He let his head rest against hers. "Me too," he whispered lifting her up and carrying her out of the bathroom, making her wrap her legs around him and mumbling his name against his lips. He let his knee rest on the edge of his bed, kissing her before her leaned forward. Laying her down on the bed.

"Harv," she mumbled in some sort of protest as his lips placed kisses down her neck now, his fingers fumbling with the edge of the shirt she was wearing. "Harv," she whispered again, closing her eyes as she felt his warm lips on her skin, halfway between her belly button and her panty line.

He kissed her stomach again, before laying his head down. "Hello baby," he whispered, his lips tickling against her skin, his words making her swallow. "Your mom got scared for a bit," he continued placing his hand next to his head, his fingers caressing her skin. "But you and I know better," he whispered.

She lifted herself up on her elbows, looking at him talking to her still invisible baby bump. "Harvey," she whispered, the tone in her voice making it sound like a question. A question he answered with those puppy eyes and smirk smile she fell in love with over a decade ago.

"Donna," he replied in the same tone, but he didn't wait for her to reply. "There's no need to worry," he continued lifting his head up again, bringing his lips towards hers again. "There's no doubt about it, you're pregnant and everything's going to be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" she whispered, for one of the first time in her life not really feeling like herself, because she didn't know.

"Because I can see it," he tried to reassure her, giving her a quick kiss, his hand running over her lower stomach, "this is a tiny baby bump."

She looked at her own stomach and his hand. "There's nothing to see," she argued raising her eyebrows at him.

"And your boobs are bigger," he added with a smirk smile. She rolled her eyes at him shaking her head, as she tried to supress a smile. He rolled of her, his left hand reaching for something out of his night stand, before he rolled back to her. "And because I read this," he told her handing her the book.

Her hands taking the book over as she searched for an explanation in his face, her gaze redirecting to the book seconds later. She let out a laugh. "'Help I got my hot wife pregnant'?" she asked reading the title out loud, "really?"

Harvey looked at her and nodded. "Well… I did get you pregnant," he started, "and your hot and technically my wife," he added smiling at her.

She bit her lip. "About that?"

He reached for her hand. "Yeah?"

Donna let outbreath before she spoke again. "We didn't really talk about it," she started, "and I don't really know what it this all is and where it's exactly going, but I don't want to continue with the divorce."

He swallowed, letting her words sink in as he thought of his own response. He pulled her closer first, letting her head rest on his shoulder, as he was still holding her hand. "This," he started. "This is exactly all I ever wanted with you and it's only going in the right direction," he whispered, his words comforting her. "And I don't want to divorce you either."

.

.

 *** Two Weeks Later ***

"Happy Thanksgiving, Harvey," Rachel chirped as she walked past her boss that Thursday morning in the hallways of Pearson Specter Litt; the only firm that was probably still open in town. The older lawyer just nodded at his associate as he strolled further down to his office, the pure sight of the redhead in front of him making him smile. She'd always been the one to make him smile, but the last nine weeks even more, because they were together now.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered leaning on the edge of her desk, making her smile.

"Hello handsome," she flirted, placing his coffee in front of him.

He smiled and reached out his hand for the cup, his fingers scraping past her hand. "Thank you, Donna," he whispered before he took the coffee and turned towards his office.

She watched him walk away, her eyebrows still frowned a bit. _Did he just thank me?_ She brushed it off as a coincidence, but his comment just stood out. Especially if you haven't had those kind of responses in the past. She continued working on his calendar, before she got the files from the file room he had requested.

With the box in her hand she walked back towards his office, opening the door with her hip she turned around to face him again. "The files you needed," she told him as she placed them on his desk. He lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers.

"Thank you, Donna," he answered again.

She let out a small laugh, placing her hands in her waist. "Okay, what's up with you today?" she questioned him.

He's now the one to look confused at her, "what do you mean?" he asked.

"Thank you, Donna," she mimicked his voice. "Twice today. What's gotten into you?" she asked throwing her hands in the air, signalling that she's really questioning him.

"It's Thanksgiving," he reasoned, "doesn't that mean I'm supposed to thank you?"

She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head as she walked towards the other side of his desk. "That's not really how it works, Specter," she starts. "Any normal person would thank someone for giving them coffee or bringing them files. Thanksgiving is for more.. It's special," she continued telling him.

He watched her lean against his desk, and he can't help but let his hand run over her hip. "In that case, let me properly thank you on the couch tonight."

Covering his hand with hers, she leaned towards him. "You can thank me on the couch any time, but tonight we have the rest over for dinner."

.

.

He listened to Louis go on and on about something he doesn't even fully understand, maybe because he's not paying attention because it's Louis or maybe because she's sitting on the other end of the table and he just can't keep his eyes off of her. It's probably a combination of both. He watched her laugh, throwing her head back as his other associate is apparently telling something funny, but he can't hear them.

Rachel moved her chair a bit closer to Donna's, leaning forward to the redhead she whispered "Is there something you need to tell me?" Donna blushed, letting her head hang low a bit, but she didn't answer. "Donna?" her best friend pushed, now placing her hand on her arm. "Donna," Rachel started again, "I couldn't help but notice you're glowing and trust me when I say this is a different glow than a yoga glow."

Donna bit her lip. "What are you saying?" she questioned her best friend.

Rachel pointed at the fire place. "If I'm not mistaken," the brunette started. "There are three pumpkins standing there. Two large ones and a tiny one.. And with your eye for detail and planning things... Does this mean what I think this means?" The words had barely left her lips as the associate saw the redhead nod, a big smile on her face. "OMG," she squealed, "really?" Her response causing Donna to whisper a very silent yes, their little moment interrupted as Harvey coughed trying to get their attention.

"Hello everyone," he started his glass of scotch in his hands. "First of all thank you for joining us tonight and a happy thanksgiving. With that being said, I have a few words to say," he spoke as he looked around his dining room. "Louis," he started, "we might not always seem eye to eye, but I hope you believe me as I say this time that you are a valuable member of our firm, a great attorney. And yes my friend. Louis, you are the man," he concluded raising his glass to his fellow name partner.

He turned to face Jessica next. "Jessica. You're my boss, my mentor and I know you don't like to hear it but maybe even a mother figure to me. I know it's not common knowledge and not said enough, but without your help I would have never been able to go to law school. You've given me a chance and I'll forever be grateful for that. Thank you, Jessica."

This time he looked at his associates. "Mike and Rachel, the happy couple, my associates and yes also my friends. I wanted to thank you for all that you've done for me in the past years. And especially these past months, for pressing me to do what I should have done twelve years ago."

The words had barely left his lips as he looked at her. At Donna. "And that brings me to Donna. The woman I met twelve years ago, the woman that has made me to who I am today. Because I really cannot be me without her. She's not just my secretary or best friend, she's the love of my life. She's my everything. Donna, thank you for everything that you've ever done for me. Thank you for waiting all this time for the fool that I have been. Thank you for loving me non the less, I know it must have been hard. And thank you for giving me the chance now to show you how much I've always loved you. Thank you, Donna."


	27. Chapter 27 - Homes & Heartbeats

**THanks everyone for the reviews! I love reading them and I really does motivate me, even if I'm busy with uni and don't have that much time to write. I know I've posted a lot of one shots lately instead of working on this or other multichapters, but I really only write when inspiration hits me.. so it has taken a bit longer but here it finally is. Chapter 27; I hope you like it and maybe leave a review? x**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Homes , Heartbeats & Heartbreaks**

The guests have left the party and she just watched him for a second. He's busy in the kitchen just doing the dishes and it's the little things like this that are making her smile. Not ever in a million years did she think that she would have what they have now. She had never imagined her hopes and wishes, the ones she'd buried deep inside her for twelve years, would have come true. But they did and they now had everything. For once they had everything.

He felt her eyes burning his skin, even after nine weeks, her gaze had the same effect it has had all along. He closed the dishwasher, turning to face her, his grin from ear to ear. "What are you looking at?" he whispered letting himself lean against one of the countertops. Donna reproduced his smile, shaking her head instead of answering his question. "Nothing," she mumbled, lifting herself from the bar stool.

With her hands on her back she tiptoed towards him. Their height difference now clearly noticeable as she'd kicked of her heels. "Donna," he mumbled, not willing to believe her answer he brought his hands to her arms. "Harvey," she mimicked in the same tone, letting her chest lean against his as her lips searched for his. Harvey couldn't help but grin before he kissed her, his hands sliding down her arms until he reached whatever she was holding.

"What. Is. This," he asked in between kisses, his hand bringing the little box from behind her back. His eyes finding hers again before he opened it. She covered his hands with hers, making him wait a couple of more seconds. "Thank you," she whispered. "Donna, don't… I," he mumbled, feeling he wasn't the one to be thanked in their situation.

"No," she countered. "I do get to thank you," she spoke her eyes full with fire. "It might have taken us a very long time, but you have always been there for me. You're the one I've always trusted and always dreamed and hoped of being with and I'm just thankful for you giving me that. Thank you for loving me and thank you for allowing me to take things slow," she whispered, lifting her hands from his now. "I want you to have this," she whispered as she watched him lift the lid of the box.

"It doesn't mean I'm ready to move in together yet," she continued, her eyes avoiding his a bit as he took the key from the box. "But I do want my home to be your home too." He smiled at her, his hand brushing over her cheek as he kissed her. "I love you," he mumbled pulling back, his hand reaching for hers as he started walking towards the door. "What are you doing?" she asked as he handed her her pumps and coat, but he just smiled opening the door as he escorted her out.

.

She laughed, looking at her own door and the expression on his face. "You're testing to see if I gave you a real key?" she teased him. "No," he lied with a smile after opening her door with his key.

He turned to face her again, a mischievous sparkle in his eye as he lifted her up unexpectedly. She let out a laugh, holding on to him as she asked what he was doing. "I'm carrying you over the threshold," he told her.  
"But we're not-" "yes, we are," he silenced her with his lips on hers again, his foot kicking her door shut.

Donna closed her eyes for a couple of seconds before looking up at him again as he carried her towards her bedroom. She let out a soft laugh as he placed her down on her bed, his hands ticklish in her waist before his body hovered above hers. The grin on his lips only increasing as he moved closer to her, his tongue absentmindedly tracing his own lips before he kissed her softly. Sucking on her bottom lips as he mumbled her name, begging her to give in to him. Something she did as she pulled him closer, his hands disappearing under her dress.

She pulled back to catch some air, the way her chest was moving up and down making him places kisses down her jaw and neckline. His fingers tracing the edge of her panties, his name escaping her lips as she threw her head back. He chuckled in between the path of kisses he placed down her neckline, "Just showing you how thankful I am to have you in my life. Happy thanksgiving," he mumbled against her skin, his thumb pressing against her. The movement making her arch her back again, she brought her hands to the side of his face, making him look at her again. "I thought you wanted to thank me on the couch," she whispered on his lips, bringing back their earlier conversation. "I'll. Do. That. Next. Time," he mumbled as he kissed her.

.

He slowly opened his eyes, the room around him still dark, but he didn't need light to see how she was sleeping next to him. He felt her leg wrapped around his, her head resting on chest and her hand in the crook of is neck as she was still sleeping inside his embrace. Letting out a yawn he carefully turned his head to the right looking at her alarm clock. He let out a soft sigh as he knew it was about to go off any minute, his hand already turning it off. That was one thing he couldn't get used to, the ridiculous hour she'd get up to work.

Every time he begged her to just stay in bed for another half an hour, to just lay next to him. Beg her to just let her hold him, but she never gave in. It did result in him never being late for work again. He let out another sigh also knowing that if he didn't wake her up he wouldn't hear the end of it.

He brought his right hand to her face, brushing away some of her auburn locks as his lips placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Donna," he whispered, his hand caressing her cheek. "Donna," he whispered again as he felt her body adjust next to his. "Hmmmm," he heard her mumble as she buried her head in the crook of his neck.

"Hey," he whispered, the fingers of his right hand trailing down her arm, "it's time to get up." She slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. He took in her sleepy face, her lips slightly parted and hair all over the place, yet she still looked beautiful. "Good morning, beautiful," he whispered, his words making her smile as she leaned towards him. "Morning," she mumbled her lips nearly reaching his, put she pulled back last second, sitting straight up in bed before she ran out of it.

"Donna," he called out leaning on his elbows, not sure what happened just now. But before he could get out of the bed and follow her he heard her flush the toilet and walk back to her bedroom. "Sorry," she mumbled as she sat herself down on the edge of the bed. "Hey," he mumbled as he moved closer to her, his chin on her shoulder his lips placing a kiss in her neck. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked. She looked over her shoulder towards him. "Yeah," she nodded, "just a bit nauseous," she added letting her head rest against his chest again.

.

Mike threw the Gassuko briefs on Harvey's desk, a smirk on his face. "Found the solution," he associate bragged, "before you did." Harvey let out a sigh shaking his head before he looked up to the pup. He wanted to say something about the fact that he had more important things on his mind lately, but he didn't. "Congrats Mike," he mumbled, "You've had your fun, now tell me what we're going to do about it."

Mike opened the folder and started explaining the dirt he had found on the CEO and how that could help them, as Harvey's eyes drifted off once more as he noticed how the redhead had pushed back her chair and rushed out of her cubicle. "Harvey?" Mike asked as he noticed how his mentor wasn't paying attention anymore. "Yeah, Mark Johnson," Harvey answered, "go on," he added letting out a sigh as he saw Donna return to her desk again. Mike continued, "So, as I was saying –"

.

Harvey stared outside his office again, his eyes directed towards the redhead as his mind brought back how he had seen her run out of her cubicle twice that day. Both times him being held up in his office, first by Mike and later by his fellow name partner. He wondered if everything was alright and just as he was about to ask, she turned her chair around facing him. She smiled at him and their eyes locked. The two of them having a conversation without words, just like they'd done all those other years.

Expect this time that moment between them wasn't broken by the phone ringing, or Mike walking into them. It was Donna. He gave her a wink, one of those winks that always gave her hope, because he never winked to anyone else, and she smiled at him. Smiled at him until another wave of nausea hit her and her smile faded in the same movement as she pushed back her chair. Her arms lifting her out of it as he feet already carried her towards the restrooms.

He felt his heart drop as he took in the changed expression on her face, the way she ran away and for one of the first times in his life he ran after her. He really ran after her. "Donna," he called out as he slowly opened the door to the restroom, closing it behind him as he heard her throw up in one of the bathroom stalls. He walked towards her, swallowing as he saw her almost hugging the toilet. He hated seeing her like this.

Harvey bended his knees as he let his hand rest on her back, moving it up and down as he whispered that everything will be alright. She wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper, flushing the toilet before she got back on her feet and faced him. The tears he saw welling in her eyes making him cup her face and pull her closer, but she stopped him. "Harv," she whispered letting her head hand down against his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his left arm around her as he lifted her chin again with his right hand. She let out a sigh. "I just threw up, my hair's a mess," she cried, "I'm a mess.. you can't kiss me like this."

His lips curled up, his thumb removing the tear that ran down her face. "But you're my mess," he told her, "and I think you're beautiful," he added before he kissed her.

She let her head rest against his suit again, her arm around his neck. "That's the second time you called me beautiful today. What's gotten into you, you're getting soft," she teased him, making him laugh. "Well there's this beautiful redhead-"

"That's three," she laughed her fingers playing with the lapels of his suit, his grin growing as he noticed how she was deflecting his complements again. "I could make you count to a million each day and it wouldn't be enough to catch up for all those years I didn't tell you," he whispered.

.

* * *

.

 ***2 weeks later [11 weeks pregnant]***

She watched him as he paced through the waiting room, his head directed towards the ground. A frown on his head as she continued studying his posture. She reached for his arm as he passed her by once more. Her fingers on his wrist making him stop walking. His head turned towards her as she still questioned his actions. "What's wrong," she whispered her hands massaging his.

"Nothing," he shrugged it off as he wiggled around on his spot. "Harv," she mumbled looking at his feet before her gaze redirected to his eyes again. "Are you nervous?" she whispered the words sounding foreign to her. She'd rarely if ever seen the great Harvey Specter being nervous. "Aren't you?" he asked mumbling.

She got out of her chair, her hands still holding onto his as she tugged on them a little. "No," she whispered, "you always told me everything is going to be fine. So it is." She smiled at him but he looked away, swallowing. "It's just .."

"Hey," she mumbled her hand running over his cheek. She saw the tears forming in his eyes. "This…," he mumbled again, pausing for a moment trying to find the words, "it just means so much to me, Donna. I didn't expect.. I think I'd given up hope on this happening, and now –" but she leaned on her toes, her lips covering his.

"You'll be a great dad, Harvey," she whispered pulling away again. "Really?" he mumbled. "Really," she confirmed with a sincere smile. "Do you need anything? Tissue?" she teased him now, her fingers playing with his suit. "What?" he mumbled, questioning her words. "You're not going to cry are you?" she asked, her smile turning into a grin. He shook his head, letting out a sigh, but he knew she was probably right.

.

He held her hand, his eyes fixated on the small screen of the equipment. The black and white image not giving away as much as he hoped, until the nurse adjusted the transducer and a small white dot appeared on the screen. "And that's your child." The words of the nurse and the image giving him a feeling of warmth and happiness like he had never experienced before.

Donna didn't watch the screen, not yet, instead she focussed on Harvey. The way his eyes were glued to the screen. The way his lips curled up until she saw one big smile, the wrinkles near his eyes and the overall look he had on his face. She smiled not knowing it was possible to love the man that was holding her hand even more, but it was. She then also turned her face towards the screen, seeing their unborn child for the very first time.

He swallowed, nodding his head. Unable to formulate any words he just looked at Donna now. He leaned forward a bit as he pressed his lips against her cheek. "I love you," he mumbled, his words making her turn around, whispering the same three words until their eyes locked.

The nurse zoomed in on the image, her hand pointing at the screen. "And this," she added as she pointed to the blinking part, "is the baby's heart. Would you like to hear it?" she asked.

Harvey's head popped up. "We can?" he mumbled, causing both the nurse and Donna to let out a laugh. "Of course," the nurse answered as she turned on the volume and the room was filled with a soft but firm sound of a small beating heart. He swallowed, fighting the tears that had been forming in his eyes for the past minutes, but he couldn't stop them. Not anymore. "OMG," was all he managed to pronounce, as the tears now ran down his face.

.

Harvey let out a laugh as she stared at the three pictures on the screen of his laptop. If anyone ever accused him of this he'd deny it, but yes he'd become that kind of man. The man that ended up putting both Donna's and his own picture in a baby face generator. "Donna," he said pressing the button of the intercom.

"What is it, Harvey?" she asked him as she stepped inside his office, the files she'd been working on and her marker still in her hands. He signalled her to come look at something and she did as he asked. She placed her stuff on his desk before she looked at his screen, immediately letting out a laugh.

She shook her head looking at him as he changed to another website showing her another result. "Who are you and what have you done to the man I fell in love with?" she teased him, letting her hand rest on his shoulder. Harvey laughed wholeheartedly, wrapping his right arm around her legs as he looked up to her with those puppy eyes. "He's still here," he told her, making her smile in return as she brushed her fingers through his hair.

She pressed his head against her stomach as she pointed at his screen again. "Our kid is going to be way cuter than this," she commented as her hand searched for the picture of the sonogram between the files she'd carried in. "See," she added as she held the picture in front of him, that proud look on his face returning immediately. He placed a kiss on her stomach. "I can't believe we made that," he mumbled, his arm around her waist pulling her even closer.

"Made what?" the voice of the managing partner cut through his office as both of them broke out of their moment and looked at her. "Made what?" Jessica asked again, a smile already forming on her lips as she recalled the scene she just walked in on.

Harvey looked at Donna who was still too much in shock to respond, before he got out of his chair standing next to the redhead as he held her hand. He took the picture from her before he handed it to Jessica. "This," he said proudly as Jessica took over the picture. The managing partner looked down and her smile only grew as she saw her assumptions were correct. "I see congratulations are in order."

.

* * *

.

 ***1 week later [12 weeks pregnant]***

She walked back to her cubicle, her eyes automatically searching for the man in the office behind it, but he wasn't there. She let out a sigh as she remembered he had been in a meeting since that morning. She tried not to think too much of it and she knew it wasn't the case, not anymore, but she couldn't help but think about the time he had 'morning meetings' and she knew exactly what those had meant. And even though she trusted him completely, sometimes it was still hard to grasp that that man had turned into a family man. That that man had chosen her.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she spotted a note on her desk and for a second her heart fluttered thinking it was his, but the feeling went away the second she saw the hand writing.

' _ **I need you – Louis'**_

Donna let out another sigh as she marched towards the office on the other end of the firm, opening the door in one firm swing. "Louis," she started, "I got your note and I know Norma's still out, but I really don't have the time to –"

"Norma's dead."

"What?" Donna mumbled in shock, letting her arms fall down in defeat. Louis looked away, "she died this morning." She took a couple of steps towards the lawyer but stopped just next to him. "Louis, I'm so sorry," she said, bringing her left hand to his shoulder. "Don't.. not if you're –" but he choked on his words.

"Louis, I'm serious," she continued, "Norma was a sweet woman," she added looking over her shoulder to the empty desk outside. "She was a fricking battle axe," Louis countered, "that's what she was. Not a day went by that I didn't want to rip out one of her varicose veins and strangle her with it."

Donna took a step back, her mouth slightly agape as she tried to make sense of what he was saying. "Okay," she mumbled, "I don't think you're in touch with how you're really feeling right now." Louis let out a nervous laugh as he started pacing through his office. "How I'm feeling is that she left me high and dry, just like she always did."

"You expect her to keep working?" Donna asked in disbelief. "Just look at this," he continued as he lifted as stack of papers from his desk and threw it back, "Her entire estate. Unable to manage my calendar, but this crap fest she plans within an inch of her life."

"You want me to make sure things are taken care of properly?" the redhead asked, reaching for the papers. Louis shook his head, "you can stuff hem in a giant piñata for all I care," he breathed, "I have to go and throw her ashes of the building." "Wait what?" Donna mumbled, "she wanted that?"

"No, she wanted her urn to be in here with me, but like hell I'm going to do that," he mumbled pointing at his window sills. "Louis," Donna started as she waited for the lawyer to look at her, "I will take care of this for you. But don't throw her ashes out, not without me."

.

Donna wrapped her arm around the bald lawyer as both of them stared at the urn on his desk. Both remaining silent as they eyed the white marble object, until she finally heard a soft sob leave his lips. She moved her hand up and down her arm, "I'm so sorry, Louis." But the bald lawyer shook his head, breaking out of her grip. "No, it's okay.. Actually I hated –" "Louis don't," she interrupted him, "you didn't hate her." Louis let out a sigh. "No," he sighed, "no.. I didn't, I .."

"It's okay," Donna mumbled again, it was all she could say. "I know it's hard and you don't want to think about it yet..," she paused as she slowly handed him the piece of paper. "I thought I'd help you find someone to replace her."

Louis nodded as he placed the paper on his desk without even looking at it. "Thanks for your help, Donna. With everything," he said looking at the redhead again. She gave him a soft smile, "No problem, Louis. If you need anything else, just let me know. Anything," she whispered as she walked towards the door again, wanting to give him some time alone.

"Donna," Louis mumbled just before she stepped out of his office. "Yes," she asked facing him again. "I know it's probably not an option," the lawyer mumbled, "and you might not even consider it.. but have you ever thought about working for me?" he asked.

.

Donna pinched her nose, letting Louis' words run through her head as she walked back towards her cubicle, but she bended to the right as she saw Harvey was back in his office. "Hey," he mumbled the second she stepped in. "Hi," she replied letting out a sigh.

"Where have you been all day?" he asked taking her in, there was something going on. He just couldn't place what it was. "Harvey," Donna mumbled, "Norma passed away. I've been helping Louis."

"Norma died?" he repeated, "that's terrible." Donna shook her head at his reaction, "I thought you couldn't stand her." Harvey nodded at her words, "I couldn't, but that doesn't make a difference. She died." Donna nodded at his words this time, feeling bad for making that comment before.

"Maybe his next secretary will be better," Harvey concluded as he smiled at Donna, thinking no one would be as great as her. Donna let her head fall down, avoiding his gaze. "About that," she mumbled, making Harvey frown. "What happened?" he asked, but she didn't answer, "Donna?" he pushed again as he sat himself up right in his desk chair.

She looked up at him again, letting out a breath. "Louis asked if I would come and work for him." Harvey's head popped up as he pushed back his chair, nearly jumping out of it. "Louis did what!?" he exclaimed, "you did tell him 'no' didn't you?"


	28. Chapter 28 - Christmas Spirit

**Thanks everyone for the follows and reviews, to those who've been following it from the start and been supporting me all the way! And to those who didn't Let the amount of words discourage them as they just started reading this fic! I'm glad you're all enjoy** **ing it and I hope you all have a great holiday! Sorry for that cliff hanger, but here's the next part. Enjoy, and maybe leave a review? Xx**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Christmas Spirit**

She swallowed letting her head fall down, she couldn't answer that. "Donna?" he pushed again, "you told him no right?" he asked again, his hands pressed to his desk now.

"I... I," she paused for a second looking away, still not really believing the words she had said to the other name partner. "I said I'd think about it," she told him them. "You said you'd think about it," he repeated "and when did you think about informing me?" he added his voice filling the distance between them.

She swallowed again, taking a step back as she heard the anger in his voice. "Harv," she whispered now. "No," he hissed, "after everything how can you possibly consider to go and work for him. For Louis of all people." She bit her lip, her eyes still avoiding his, "Because I-"

"Because you have that goddamn rule of yours and you still don't want to wave completely it for me!" he shot back, slamming his fist against his desk this time. Tears were forming in her eyes and she shook her head, "that's not what this is about."

"Then what? Cause I can't think of anything else," he argued this time, biting his tongue as he was fighting the way seeing her nearly in tears made him feel. "And what if it was," she shot back then, "why isn't us being together enough for you?!"

"Because I need both," he answered immediately. "Need," she repeated shaking her head once more, "you just need me to be your secretary. That's what you really need," she mumbled taking another step back.

"Donna," he called her, swallowing as he took in the look on her face, "that's not what I meant I you know it." But she just continued shaking her head, the tears now falling from her eyes as she took another step away from him. "I'll always be just a secretary to you," being the last words he heard, the way she emphasized the word 'just' making his heart cringe.

"Donna!" he exclaimed again, "Donna!?" But she didn't stop and he fell in his old pattern, he didn't follow, his fingers falling around a glass on his desk that he threw to his wall. Letting out all the anger he had inside him, as things had gotten horribly wrong once more.

.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he slammed the door of his apartment behind him. The headache he'd gotten after his fight with Donna still making his head pound. He didn't turn on the lights, he knew how to find his bottle of scotch without it and he poured himself a glass. Downing it in one go, before he filled the tumbler with another two fingers of the amber liquid.

Contemplating everything that went wrong that afternoon, he let his glass circle around between his fingers. Letting the emptiness of his apartment overwhelm him, he missed her already. He was still mad, at him at her, but he just missed her. He took another sip of his drink as he counted the options in his head, but there really was only one thing he could do. Something he knew even before he called for advice.

.

He stared at the three numbers in front of him again, letting out a sigh as his fingers searched for the key she'd given him. But he wasn't sure if he should use it or not, she hadn't answered his calls, but he was also pretty sure she wouldn't open the door if he knocked. So he did what he only got to do a couple of times before. Let himself in her apartment. _I want my home to be your home too,_ he heard her say again and he knew then that whatever fight they'd gotten into or will get into, that was the most important thing. She was his home and he was hers.

Quietly closing the door behind him he noticed how the lights in her living room where already turned off. His feet bringing him to her couch, leaving his suit jacket and his keys behind he followed the path to her bedroom. He slowly opened the door as he just watched her sleep for a couple of seconds. She looked so beautiful.

He sat down on the edge of her bed, taking of his shoes, and his suit. Folding his clothes and placing them on the cabinet near the wall as he walked back to the duvet in just his boxers. He slowly lifted the sheet, trying not to wake her, he slid underneath it and lay himself down next to her. He felt her body slightly adjust next to his before he turned on his side. The smell of her shampoo filling his nose as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.

She felt goose bumps on her arms as he touched her, she'll never get really used to him touching her, but she didn't stop him either. She just questioned his actions. "Harvey," she mumbled, her arm covering his, "why are you here?"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled placing a kiss in her neck.. "I really am.. It's just.." he paused for a second. "I don't understand why you would consider going to work for Louis.. I mean if this is about your rule, I honestly don't know why you can't wave it for me."

"Harv-" she mumbled but he continued, "because I'm not going to back out or change my mind. I'm in this, Donna. I want this and I want everything with you. I want to be in a relationship with you and I want you to work for me, because we're a team. Without you it just wouldn't be the same. So yes I want all, I want us to work together, I want you to move in with me and if I could I'd marry you all over again too."

"If that's a proposal, it's even worse than the other one," she commented, trying to hide her smile. "Donna," he sighed, as she avoided his real question. "I want you to know that I really do want everything with you. And it will always be your choice, but I wish you would just allow me to have everything with you."

"Harvey," she whispered letting her fingers run over his arm. Letting out a yawn before she continued, "I'll explain it tomorrow." "Please wave that goddamn rule all together," was all he mumbled against her skin, but he didn't see or feel her slightly nod her head as he closed his eyes.

.

She faced him again as he was sitting behind his desk and she's struggling to find the words. To explain why she needed to think about Louis offer. "So, she started, "there are uhm .. there are two reasons, maybe they're silly... but it's just how I feel. So please let me explain," she asked him and he nodded at her, encouraging her to continue.

"You know how people talk, they always have about us.. But especially now and normally I don't care or I can pretend I don't care, but maybe it are the hormones," she started rambling, her hands making all these movements he found himself distracted by a little. "They get to me and I don't want to be that secretary that slept with her boss and got knocked up.., "she whispered, "I wanna be –"

"Donna," he paused her, "you might be my secretary but you've never been _just_ that. Not to me." He smiled letting out a breath before he continued. "Donna, you're my best friend and yes I got you knocked up," he grinned now, "but more importantly you're the mother of my.. our child and you're the one that I love. So let them talk, I don't care, because what we have is more important than any rumour out there."

"And officially you're also my wife, have been my wife for longer than those people that might gossip have worked here, so .. " he smiled, not finding other words to say as he stared in her eyes. "What's your other reason?"

She smiled, her heart already beating in her chest from the words he had just said. "Okay," she mumbled, "now this might sound even more silly.. but uhm.. All those years working for you was fun, but also challenging. Challenging because I found myself distracted by just looking at you more often than I'd like to admit." She paused for a second, her hands fidgeting with the edge of the chair in front of her, trying to distract herself as she felt his gaze burn her skin. "I Uhm .. I can't count the times I've wanted to touch those moles or just feel your lips against mine as you were just telling me to get a file," she mumbled then, her eyes avoiding his until he laughed.

"And it has just only gotten harder now that I can do those things," she blushed. "Maybe it's this pregnancy thing, but I literally want to kiss you all the time and you just have to give me that look," she explained as she looked at the grin appearing on his face. "No don't," she warned him, "or you just have to touch me and you make me feel all hot and bothered."

Harvey let out another laugh, as he bit his lip. "Harvey it's not funny," she shot back, "I'm literally scared I might jump you in your office one day." He now laughed even harder. "Objection," he shot back as he lifted himself from his chair. "That's just .. No.. I cannot let my irresistible hotness be the reason you're going to work for Louis."

"Harv," she breathed sounding all serious now, shaking her head as she watched him walk towards her. Her body automatically turning towards him as he stepped even closer. "And secondly," he continued a smirk on his face, his eyes piercing through her. "I can't believe we haven't had sex in my office yet," he told her, his husky voice making her swallow.

"Look," she shot back placing her hand on his chest to keep him at distance, "there you do it again, your voice." " This" he asked taking another step towards her. "This is making you all hot and bothered?" he whispered taking her in her arms. "You're impossible," she hissed, as she fought his hands on her waist. Taking a step back. "I'm going to help Louis now," she decided as she walked towards the door.

"Donna?" he asked, still not knowing her decision. "Please let me think about it, Harvey," she begged, "I haven't decided anything yet. I'm just helping Louis now," she told him.

.

Her feet carried her through the hallways of the fiftieth floor once more, from her desk to her temporary desk. From her old desk to her possibly new desk, her heart heavy as she knew she had a decision to make. And she also knew she had to make it soon. He hadn't asked her again in the past two days, just like he promised, but she also knew his patience was starting to run thin.

She seated herself down in the chair in front of Louis desk, her hands still holding on to the cup of tea he had given her and she let out a sigh as she pulled up a picture of them on her phone. Her finger swiping to the right revealing the picture from sonogram just over a week ago. Her gaze trailing down the hall as she spotted him walk past her desk in the distance, her eyes now focussed on the computer screen in front of her again.

She scanned the list of names again _: Abigail Lopez, Gretchen Bodinski, Aleks Woszczyna, Sheryl Willock, Arlene Lott, Natalie Urquhart and Kayla Harper_. Dotting the I's and crossing the t's so to speak, before she read that first line at the top of the document again. _'Secretary replacements for'_

Taking a deep breath as she let her fingers rest on the key board in front of her. Closing her eyes for a second as she made her final decision; her right index finger slightly lifted, but it was the ring finger of that same hand that pressed the key underneath it. Typing the name of the respective name partner before sending the file to the printer.

She took in the hallway around her, only then realizing the fiftieth floor was already abandoned due to the firms Christmas party. The paper suddenly feeling heavy in her hands as it might not have been the best day to let the name partner in question down, but it was something that needed to be done. And as much as she hated to do so, a weight lifted from her shoulders the second her fingers lifted from the file. Leaving the paper on the desk, she turned around and walked towards the elevator, taking it four floors down and she let herself be overwhelmed with the Christmas spirit of this year's firm event.

Her eyes scanned the room, finding the balding lawyer at her left. She walked over and greeted Louis, wishing him a merry Christmas as she took in the look on his face. Reading the question written in his eyes and all she could do was swallow and nod. Causing him to do the same, the lawyer hugged his friend and reproduced the holiday wishes before he let her go.

She grabbed two drinks and brought them to her best friend and her fiancée. Exchanging the same wishes she did a couple of minutes ago, now joining Rachel in making fun of Mike. Something they usually did behind his back, but the pup didn't leave the paralegals side for a minute. Just like all the other times she joined the two young love birds for some drinks down town.

Donna excused herself, mingling in the crowd before she faced the managing partner of the firm. "I heard you had a difficult decision to make," the managing partner informed regarding the recent events in the firm. "I did and I have," she answered looking up to Jessica. "Good," the other woman replied as she spotted Harvey on the other side of the room. "You should go and tell him," she continued as the older woman placed her arm on Donna's turning the legal secretary towards him.

"Hey," he whispered as she stopped just in front of him, his hands brushing past her arms until her held her at her elbows. "Hey," she whispered back with a smile, letting out a sigh as she let her hands rest on his chest. She swallowed as he leaned towards her, this mischievous sparkle in his eyes and the way his thumbs were drawing circles on her arm distracting her. "Harv," she whispered, her lips nearly touching his, her own hands trailing down his arms, "everyone's watching."

He just smiled, letting their fingers interlock as he held her close. "Why do you think I was waiting for you under the mistletoe?" he whispered then, waiting for her as she let out a laugh. Her eyes now focussed on the green leaves above their heads, before she let her temple rest against his. "What are you waiting for then?" she teased him with a little tug on his hand.

His lips soon closing the distance between them, taking her top lip between his. Slightly sucking it as he let go again, his tongue now teasing her lips. He could feel her smile during their kiss, not giving in. Instead mumbling his name on his lips, as her hands held onto him a bit tighter. "Harv, please," she mumbled, begging him to stop it, because she wasn't able to, feeling her heart beating in her chest.

He pulled back, letting his lips rest against her temple. "Do you want to get a drink?" he whispered then, still avoiding the question he really wanted an answer to. "No I'm good," she answered pulling his hand indicating him to follow her.

.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she walked in front of him, their hands still attached as he was now following her through the hallways of the fiftieth floor. "I just want to show you something," she mumbled as she let go of his hand now, opening the door to his office with her bum. Walking inside not saying anything else, just removing some pieces from his desk as he stood there wondering what was going on.

"Which is?" he mumbled then, frowning as she reached for his hand again. She walked around him, taking a step back towards his desk as she pulled him towards her. She leaned against his desk then, his hand still in hers as she made him stop in front of her.

Her hands slipped under his suit jacket, trailing down along the edge of his vest as he watched her bite her own lip. "Donna," he mumbled, his hands now on her wrists as he tried to stop her. "Ssssh," she whispered as she placed her index fingers on his lips, leaning on her toes as she kissed him again. And this time she was the one tugging, leaving small bites on his lips as her hands moved to his hair, his hands holding her at her waist now.

An inaudible sound including her name leaving his lips as her tongue teased his lips now. "I. Want. Everything," she mumbled in between kisses then and all he could do was pull back and look her in the eye. "Everything," he repeated and she nodded. "Everything, no more rules," she whispered, the words not even fully leaving her lips as he pulled her closer again, his hands on her hips pressing her against his desk.

Her hands pushing back his suit jacket, letting it slip to the ground as her hands now played with his tie, pulling him even closer as she sat herself down on his desk. His name escaping her lips as his fingers pushed up her dress, caressing her thighs as his lips savoured hers. Her hand stroking over his arousal, mumbling a "Fuck, Donna," as he now also noticed how she wasn't wearing any panties. But she just let out a laugh as her fingers unbuckled his belt, sneaking her hand down his boxers this time, "Merry almost Christmas, Specter."

.

He turned on his side watching her sleep and all he could do was smile as he waited for her to wake up. "Stop staring," she mumbled as she turned towards him, her eyes still closed. "I'm.." he mumbled. "Not?" she added opening her eyes now, "yes you were." He bit his lip, leaning towards her as he wrapped his right arm around her. "Well, maybe I was," he grinned at her, the look on his face making her wiggle around in his arms a bit.

"Stop grinning like that," she giggled then, as his hand moved down her side. "I can't," he whispered, "was thinking about last night," he mumbled. She shook her head, letting it rest against his torso. "Yeah, that was hot, but –" her words being silenced by his lips on hers. "It was," he mumbled, "but that's not what I meant. You said you wanted everything." Donna smiled at him, her hand caressing his cheek. "Yes," she told him again, "everything."

"Harv," she whispered then letting he fingers draw patterns on his torso, "don't you think… now that Jessica and well Rachel knows, about our little pumpkin, maybe we should tell my parents?" Harvey brought his hand to hers, his fingers falling around her wrist, softly massaging it as he searched for the words. "Donna," he mumbled then let out a sigh, "I don't know.. I mean your dad, he never really liked me."

"That's not true," she argued, "yeah he might have been pissed at you for you know what, but we have to tell them sometime.." "Yeah.." he mumbled, but she interrupted him again. "We can't just have the baby and show them a year later.. like hey by the way you have a grandchild."

"Can't we?" he asked giving her his puppy eyes, his lips in a pout. "You're scared of my father," she teased him then. "No, I .." he mumbled as he felt her fingers tap against his chest. "You are, you really are."

"I'm just going to pretend you never said that," he mumbled letting himself fall back on the bed then. "Okay, then the honour is yours. You can tell my parents," she whispered rolling next to him, her chin resting on his chest now. "Donn" She just let out a laugh, bringing her lips towards his again. "We'll think of something," she whispered before she kissed him.

.

 ***December 24** **th** *****

She walked towards him, a smile on her lips and a gift box in her hands. He smiled at her as he looked at her, the way she walked on her toes, how she was wearing his dress shirt, her hair messy but still beautiful. "Hey," he whispered, placing a strand of auburn locks behind her ear, his fingers pulling her chin towards him. "Hey," she mumbled just before their lips met each other's.

He pulled back, placing a kiss on top of her head as she rested it against his chest. His arm wrapped around her shoulders. "What's that?" he mumbled against her head indicating the box she was holding. She lifted her head, her eyes meeting his again as she gave him the box, not giving a hint of what's inside. He took the lid from the box, his eyes widening as he removed the paper showing him the Christmas sweater inside. He eyed the cactus with Christmas lights, "Donna," he mumbled, not sure what on earth he would do with such a sweater.

"My mom made it," she told him then, "like it?" He looked at her, questioning her face, searching for any hint that this was a joke, but he drew blank. "Uhm," he mumbled, "it's definitely unique... the uh cactus," he whispered looking at her. "I don't have to wear it, do I?" he asked sincere.

"Of course you do," she replied getting the sweater out of the box, showing it all to him. "What? You're not serious are you?" he mumbled. She bit her lip, giving him an apologetic look. "I am," she confessed. "It's a Paulsen tradition." He raised his eyebrows, "a what now?"

"Tradition," she repeated, placing the sweater in the box again as she let her hands rest on his shoulders. "My mom makes a sweater for everyone that joins the family," she whispered kissing him. "So you better put that on tonight," she told him as she walked away, leaving him with a stunned look on his face.

.

Harvey walked towards the door, opening it to find his brother and his family on the other side. The younger man immediately started laughing. "It's not funny, Marcus," Harvey warned him as he let Katie and the kids enter his apartment. "Actually it is," Marcus shot back as he hung the coats of his children, "looks like you're pretty whipped," he added and Harvey let out a sigh, mentally cursing himself for letting that one detail slip on a drunken night all those years ago.

"Her mom made it," he mumbled then, "what was I supposed to do then?" His answer only causing his younger brother to laugh even harder. "Yeah really," he mumbled shaking his head, trying to hold his laugh as they walked towards the kitchen, meeting their significant others and the kids. Harvey's heart melting as he saw how his niece hugged Donna and called her aunt, before both kids starting laughing at the sweater there uncle was wearing.

"Emily, Matt," Katie warned them, but there was no point as their own father couldn't stop laughing either. "Yeah, okay, okay," Harvey mumbled as he kneeled down and lifted Max who was jumping against his leg, "I have a very ug…" but he swallowed in his word as he felt Donna's gaze fixated on him, ".. unique but beautiful sweater," he finished then, bringing his hand to the dogs head, secretly wishing he'd start chewing on his sweater.

.

Donna introduced Harvey to her brother Thomas and sisters Alice and Rose, and their respective families. The man directly circling around Harvey giving him their sympathies regarding the sweater as he poured all of them a glass of scotch. Harvey commented on how much he would do for Donna, but never in a million years thought he'd end up wearing a sweater like this. For her. Marcus tried to hold his laugh as Thomas mumbled the real story behind this 'Paulsen Tradition' and Donna's brothers in law just played along. They'd all been there. "You should have seen mine," Jasper commented as he described the one he'd gotten five years ago.

Donna greeted all her nieces and nephews as she let them play with Marcus' kids, before she mixed herself in the group of woman again. All of them laughing at that stupid sweater, but when Harvey looked in their direction the subject was suddenly changed, and all Donna did was smile at him, whispering an 'I love you' in his direction.

"So, you ready to meet the parents?" Thomas teased him then again and Harvey let out a sigh. "I've met your parents before, but.. uhm.." his sentence being interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell, making his head pop up and look at his hallway. He looked back to Donna who signalled to him he should open the door, and he let out a sigh as he excused himself to the group of men. "Showtime," was all he heard Dave say and he couldn't help but feel that it was.

He rolled his shoulders, letting out a final breath as he prepared himself to face the two people on the other side of the door. "Harvey," he heard her mother greet him instantly, being overwhelmed by the added hug of the older woman. "Mrs. Paulsen," he greeted her as she had finally let go of him again. "It's Martha, Harvey, you know that," she told him as she gave him one of those looks Donna could give him, and it made him swallow. His gaze lowering he spotted his ugly sweater again, a fake smile appearing on his face immediately.

"Thank you, Martha," he said then, "for the sweater." Donna's mother grinned shaking her head, "the what?" she asked as she walked herself to her daughter who was watching the entire scene from the kitchen. Harvey just stared in front of him, confused at the entire scene as the laugh of her father made him snap out of his thoughts again. "Looks like you passed the test. Welcome to the family," was all the older man said as he gave Harvey a playful slap on his shoulder. "Mr. Paulsen," Harvey mumbled shaking James' hand.

.

"Okay," he spoke loud halfway during the dinner, making everyone at the table look at him, "what's the deal with this sweater?" and the words had barely left as everyone started laughing. Donna biting her lip as she walked towards him. "It's a tradition for men that join the family to get one of those ugly sweaters on their first Christmas with us," she started as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's actually more some sort of test," Rose continued, "to see if you're really willing to do anything for her," and Harvey just shook his head smiling, because he really would do anything for her.

"You all fell for it," Thomas commented then, mocking his existing and new brother in law as Donna moved her fingers to Harvey's neck. "Well," she started, "I already knew he'd do anything for me.. but couldn't deny you all this fun tradition." She placed a kiss on top of his head as he held her by her legs. "You passed," she mumbled, "you can take of the sweater now." But he shook his head, whispering that he wouldn't and she couldn't help but smile.

.

The dinner is a success and he couldn't believe how everyone's getting along. His family mixed with hers. Not one awkward silence falling in the room, like they've all known each other for years already. Like it was meant to be and deep down he knows it was. Harvey can't help but smile at how he finally got what he had missed all his life. A real family again, how she had been the one to give that to him, in more than one way. He watched her walk around grabbing a small box as she walked back to the table.

"Mom, dad," she mumbled placing the box in front of them, "Merry Christmas." Martha looked at her daughter, searching for an explanation but all she saw was how Donna walked towards Harvey and sat down on his lap. "Go on, open it," Donna continued as she felt all eyes directed on her now, including Harvey's who couldn't stop smiling, his right hand wrapped around her stomach.

Her mother slowly removed the red ribbon from the box, before lifting the cover. "OMG," was all she exclaimed as she saw what was inside. Her head turning towards her husband. "Donna, really?" her mother asked then as she lifted the small romper with the text 'I love my grandparents' from the box, resulting in an immediate wave of congratulations as Donna nodded, hearing Harvey answer with a proud 'yes'.

"To Donna and Harvey," James spoke raising his glass, a gesture that was repeated by everyone else at the table as they just stared in the other's eyes. "Merry Christmas, Donna," he whispered, kissing her.

"Merry Christmas, Harvey."


	29. Chapter 29 - Families

**Someonerandom, Jablonaaa, Donnaspecter, Onyxcareless, Cadalways, EmMNarang2513, Plliarsunite, Lisamichelle17, quintaocastro, tvseriesislife and guests.. THANK YOU for the reviews on the last chapter. It has been a very very long time since I updated and I'm sorry about that. I've just been experiencing a bit of a writersblock which caused me to want to write anything but this fic, but here it is. Chapter 29. Sofia, you know which part is for you and every other person that ships it :)**

 **I hope you enjoy it and maybe leave a review? X**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Families**

He let out a yawn as he entered her apartment. Placing his coat on the chair next to the hallway, he walked himself to her kitchen, bringing his hand to cover his mouth as he let out a yawn once more. "Hey," he mumbled as he stepped up behind her, his hands briefly holding her at her waist placing a kiss on her cheek.

"How was your meeting?" she asked as she felt his hands slipping away again, her head turning towards him as he mumbled "Good.. I'm just going to get changed," he added pointing at the direction of her bedroom.

.

 ***earlier that day***

"So what's the problem then?" she asked looking at the man on the opposite side of the coffee table. "I don't know," he mumbled raising his shoulders, crooking his head, his eyes fixated on the golden frame of the side table.

"Harvey," dr. Agard sighed, "let's go over this one more time. Your colleague's secretary died, Donna stepped in and she questioned whether she wanted to continue to work for you. And you lashed out at her, blaming her rule for the change your going through together."

"I did," he sighed, "but I realized my mistake and apologized."

"So what is really bothering you then?" she asked her eyes scanning the room around them for a second. He let out a sigh, biting his lip. "Her father," he mumbled, "he uhm.. he made this comment.. about us not being married with Donna being.."

"Donna being what, Harvey?" the blonde asked, "what happened?" she added the concern clearly noticeable in her voice and Harvey's eyes popped open at hearing the worry. "Ooh no she's okay," he reassured, "more than okay, actually," he smiled, "She's … she's pregnant."

"Pregnant," Paula repeated moving back in her chair. "Wow," she continued taking in the proud look on his face and a smile curled up on her lips. "Congratulations Harvey," she mumbled causing him to nod at her. "Thank you," he whispered.

She moved around in her chair again, leaning or her right arm rest as she studied his posture again. "You said her father made a comment about marriage, but the two of you are married. I assume her father doesn't know that?" He swallowed, "no he doesn't. Besides Jessica, my associates and you, no one knows."

"Don't you think he should know you're married to his daughter?" she asked then, her head crooked as she waited for him to reply. "Yeah, but it's not that simple. We did this nine years ago, like it was no big deal –"

"and it turned out to be the biggest deal of your life," she interrupted.

"It did," he sighed, "I mean.. How am I supposed to come eye to eye with the man I told seven years ago that I would never let anything happen to her, when I had already done this. The not keeping up with my end of the bargain. Behind both their backs."

"So you rather keep living this lie than tell the truth?" dr. Agard questioned then. "I never said that," he countered. "You said you didn't want to tell, so –" "It's complicated," he interrupted her with a loud sigh.

"Okay," she continued then, "imagine the two of you wouldn't be married already, would you want to marry her now?" she asked, writing something down in her notebook. "Yes," he answered. "Isn't that more important then?"

"But I don't want her to think I see this as a convenience or something. Like … I'm not going to tell her father I married his daughter nine years ago cause I had to buy that apartment, but it's all okay cause I actually want to marry her now?" he blurted out, pressing his hands down on his knees.

"Opposed to before?" Paula countered. "Before?" he mumbled. "Was it just for the apartment?" she clarified her question. "I told you the story," he sighed. "You did. You said you wanted an apartment that could only be sold to married couples and you asked her to do this for her. But why did you ask _her_?"

He looked around his eyes falling on the painting of the landscape on the left, letting out a sigh. But he didn't answer.

"You know I asked Donna the same question," she confessed then. "What do you mean?" he asked. "We talked about her conscious and subconscious towards making that decision."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Consciously she married you to help a friend, but if you think about it. If it a normal thing to do for a friend? Would you just marry anyone to help them get something, even if the deal if to get out of it soon after?"

"I .. uhm.." he mumbled, he never really thought about this.

"Subconsciously she agreed, because that was in some way granting one of her wishes. Being with you in a way neither of you dared to address," Paula explained then, once more causing Harvey to lose his words. The room turning silent.

"So, Harvey.. Why did you ask Donna to do this for you?" she asked again then.

Harvey recalled the moment. "I bragged to the real estate agent about … about my red headed fiancé," he mumbled opening his eyes again. "So even though you needed someone to help you, at that moment just saying you were engaged would have been sufficient, wouldn't it have been?" she pushed him

"I guess," he nodded.

"Yet, you specifically said your fiancé had red hair. So why did you pick her?" Paula asked him, curious about the answer she already knew he was going to give. He sighed, "because .. because I .." his mouth turning into a thin line again. "Looking back, do you think you were already in love with her back then?"

" _I'm sorry, do we –" he mumbled turning around, letting his left elbow rest on the bar. "Know each other?" she interrupted him, "not yet. But today is your lucky day," the redhead beamed as she turned towards him. "And why is that?" he countered, his eyes not leaving hers. "Because today is the day you get to meet Donna," she smiled._

"Yes," he sighed closing his eyes, trying to push away the image of Donna in that plaid shirt the first time he saw her. "So the voiced reason might have been different, but I think that deep down both of you chose to do this out of love," she explained, emphasizing the last word.

"Out of love," he repeated mumbling.

"And isn't that exactly why one should get married?" she asked then as she noticed how her words were finally starting to make sense to him. "Yes," he mumbled again. "Can't you tell that to her father then?"

" _You're acting as if you think I don't love my own daughter," James called after him, causing him to turn around on the golf course. "People who love other people don't put them in positions to break the law," he answered the older man._

"Harvey," Paula called out his name again as the man opposite of her seemed to be zoned out a bit. "Yeah," he mumbled shaking his head as he looked at dr. Agard again. "You said her dad made this comment.. was this just to you or to the both of you?" she informed. "To me," he answered. "Did you tell Donna?" she wondered out loud.

"I. .no," he breathed, "I didn't."

"Why?" she needed to push him further about this. "Because I wanted to protect her," he reasoned, raising his shoulders. Protecting her, that's what he did. What he had done for the past twelve years, it's all he knew and something he will always do. "Protect her," she objected, "Harvey this is.."

"No," he interrupted, "you don't understand. She's always had this blind spot for James. She placed the man on a pedestal and if she'd hear him say this.." he paused, letting his head rest in his hands for a second. "I know her," he continued looking up again, "and she'd feel like she'd failed or disappointed him."

"But do you think it's best to keep this from her?"

" _You don't keep things from me," he shouted pacing through the bathroom of the firm. "You keep things from me all the time," she fired back, tears welling in her eyes. "That's because I'm your boss," he counted. "Well maybe you shouldn't be my boss anymore."_

"Harvey?" Paula mumbled again, as Harvey was lost in thought once more. "No, but .. I don't know how to tell her," he mumbled then, realising that that seemed to be his problem. That when it came to her, he never really knew how to say things, resulting in him not saying anything at all. But that was before, he knew he had to change this. At least try.

"Why?" dr. Agard asked him, flipping through her notes. "Like I said," he started, "I don't want her to think I see our marriage as a convenience, because that's not the case. I mean we… we talked about it, the divorce thing," he paused, trying to put his thoughts into words, "we said we didn't want to continue with that, because it didn't feel right, but ..we never …"

"you never really talked about whether the two of you would have wanted to get married now?"

"Yes," he sighed, letting his shoulders hang low as he let his right hand turn around an imaginative wedding band on his left hand. "You said you would," Paula read out loud from her notes, "If you weren't already, you would. How about her? Do you know?" she asked him.

"I know she used to dream about it.. getting married," he mumbled, "in Nantucket, with only friends and family," he added a smile curling up on his lips. "That's quite specific," Paula commented surprised. "She told me nine years ago on our way to city hall."

"City hall," Paula repeated, "can you tell me about that wedding. What it was like?"

"It was…" he paused, "maybe five days after I asked her max and I.. I didn't even tell her it was going to happen that day," he sighed closing his eyes. "What do you mean, Harvey?" she questioned. "I had Ray, he's my driver, drive me over to her apartment. And I picked her up, she assumed it was to go to work and… I only told her the wedding, if you can even call it that, was happening that day when she noticed we passed the firm."

Paula swallowed, "and next?"

"She questioned my actions, I told her we were going to city hall. We did the ritual, it's this thing we do before I go to court," he paused a smile on his lips. "It's for good luck and we walked inside. There was no one else, just the two of us. No real ceremony, no flowers.. nothing."

"Nothing," Paula repeated. "Nothing," Harvey repeated, "except for our wedding bands. There was no music, no speeches, no vows and .." he paused again. "No kiss?" Paula guessed, causing Harvey to let out a sigh, shaking his head. "I'm such an ass," he sighed avoiding Paula's gaze, who asked him to elaborate on his words. "I did.. I kissed her then."

"I asked her to do this and I denied her everything she dreamed of," he mumbled, "yet I couldn't even keep up with her rule that day."

.

 ***present time***

"Harv," she called for him five minutes later as he still hadn't returned from her bedroom, but there was no response. "Harvey," she mumbled again as she started walking herself now, a small laugh leaving her lips as she found him passed out on her bed. Still half dressed in his suit, fallen asleep in the midst of changing his clothes.

She crawled on the bed next to him, her hand sliding over his torso until she reached his tie. Undoing the knot as she removed the piece of fabric. "Harvey," she whispered again, as she saw his lips curl up at her touch. Her fingers fiddling with the top buttons of his dress shirt, bringing her lips to his ear. "Harv," she whispered, "work with me here.. you can't sleep in your suit," she added as she tried to pull the piece of clothing over his shoulders.

"No," he mumbled his arms brining her to lay down next to him, holding her closer, "this is perfect," he whispered keeping his eyes closed. Donna let out a soft laugh, turning around in his arms until she could let her fingers move over his collarbone. "We still got to have dinner," she tried to convince him.

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled, holding her even tighter as a form of protest. "But I am," she countered her breath tickling his face and she could see by the way the skin near his eyes wrinkled as his lips curled up that she was winning this argument. "Fine, but let's order in," he mumbled. "Thai?" she whispered and he hummed. "Only if it's from that shitty place you love," he countered. "Of course," she mumbled giving him a kiss on his lips.

.

He threw her a goofy smile, his arms stretched holding the box with Thai food out of her reach, no matter how she tried to grasp for it. His arm fell around her waist pulling her closer, until her body rested against his. "This is mine," he teased, bringing the box behind her back again. "Harvey," she begged again giving him her best pout be he shook his head.

"Oouch," he exclaimed as the burnt orange pillow from behind his back landed on his head not soon after, looking at her. "I'm the one eating for two," she gloated as she managed to take the box from his hand, turning around. Letting her back rest against his torso as she sat in between his legs.

"Fine," he whispered placing a kiss on her head as he held her, watching her eat the rest of his chicken noodles, stealing a bite every once in a while. "Harvey," she mumbled as she placed the empty box on the coffee table, leaning back against him, "I've been thinking.."

"Yeah," he interrupted her by pressing his lips in the crook of her neck again, making her giggle. "About the.. Harv stop.. about the firms New Year's reception."

"What about it?"

"I was thinking.." she mumbled again, "you know with all the partners, sponsors and clients being invited anyway… that, that maybe we should invite dr. Agard," she whispered then. "Why would you want to do that?" he inquired. "Don't you think that after everything, she deserves to know how things are now," she mumbled, "I mean with us. Together and .."

"She already knows," Harvey confessed then, making Donna turn around to face him. "She knows?" she repeated confused, "how –" "I told her, when I was there this morning," he answered. "You told her," she mumbled again, shaking her head. "Wait. I thought you had a meeting. Why were you even there?"

"I did, with her, because I needed to clear my mind –"

"About what? Why didn't you tell me?" she interrupted him. "Donna," he sighed, "just let me explain, okay?" he asked and she nodded waiting for him to elaborate. "I went there because of something your father said to me," he mumbled. "What did .." she swallowed in the rest of her words as Harvey crooked his head. "He said something.. something about us not being married and you being –"

"Pregnant," she whispered and he nodded. "Why did feel the need to talk to Agard about that?" she asked then and he let out a sigh. "Because," he mumbled, "because I thought about telling your dad that we are… married," he paused for a second, "but I didn't want to give him the idea that I thought that would make everything alright, because we got married all those years ago.."

"Harv," she whispered, her hand reaching for his again. "I don't want you to think that I see our marriage as a convenience or something," he whispered. She bent her head towards him, her hand reaching for his cheek. "Hey," she caressed his face, "I know you don't." His hand covered hers, moving it to his lips and he placed a kiss on her knuckles. "I know we said we didn't want to continue with the divorce, but we never really discussed if we would have - "

"I love you," she whispered, "and that's all that matters now," she added letting her head rest against his chest again.

.

He turned around on his side, his eyes fixated on her. A small smile on his lips as he watched her for a couple of seconds. "You're a creep," she mumbled with a smile as she moved closer to him. "I'm not," he countered his right hand moving over her stomach as he pulled her closer, his lips placing a kiss on her cheek.

"You were staring at me. Again," she countered, opening her eyes and looking at him, her left hand covering his on her stomach. "I can't help it," he whispered, bringing his lips towards her, "you're too beautiful," covering her lips with hers, making her smile through their kiss.

"Harvey," she whispered, moving his hand down her stomach over the tiny baby bump. "Yeah," he smirked his eyebrows raised as he caressed the skin just below her belly button, his lips leaving kisses in her neck. "Harv," she giggled, her hand stopping his, "that's not what I meant," she argued, turning her head to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, a look of concern now clearly visible on his face. "Look," she mumbled, pulling back the sheet as he questioned her words, his eyes moving from her face to her hand again. "Yep," he mumbled popping the 'p', "you still look beautiful."

"Harvey," she sighed, making him swallow as he could hear a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. "Donna," he mumbled, "what am I supposed to see?" he wondered out loud as he looked at her body again. "It's showing," she blurted out, her hands pointing at her lower abdomen again, his eyebrows still creased as he stared at her.

"Look," she mumbled again as she moved up leaning on her knees, turning a bit to show her silhouette. Placing his hand on the tiny bump again as she moved back to face him again. "It's showing, Harvey," she argued again as she saw him give her a goofy smile. "You're not taking me seriously," she sighed.

"I .." he mumbled, leaning on his elbow, "I am," he answered sitting in front of her now, his hands holding her at her waist as he placed a kiss on her stomach. "Guess. We'll. Have. To. Buy. Mommy. Some. New. Clothes," he mumbled in between kisses, his lips moving up until he reached hers, finding them in a big grin. "Wait.." he whispered, "this was your goal all along?"

"What?" she gloated, pressing her lips against his. "I've got no clue as to what you're talking about," she added as she held him tight.

.

"You ready?" he called for her, bringing the glass of scotch back to his lips, staring at the Manhattan sky line. His other hand buried in the pocket of his pants as he paced through the part of his condo she had called so empty and cold. Hearing her answer with an 'almost' as he placed his glass on his dining room table. His eyes turning in the other direction again as he thought of things he could do to this place. Something to surprise her.

His fingers falling around his bow tie again, fixing it one last time as he watched her walk towards him in the reflection of the window. His jaw dropping as he took in her exposed neck and shoulders, the black off shoulder dress hugging her every curve, a smile growing on his lips as his eyes met hers when she stopped right behind him.

Letting her hands rest on his shoulders, her lips near hear ear as she whispered she was ready to go. He took her hand in his, turning around as he took a step back. Taking her in completely now, "wow," he mumbled, "you look amazing."

"Thanks," she smiled pulling his hand, "you don't look bad yourself, Specter," she added fixing his hair as they walked side by side to the door.

.

He held her close, his hand on the small of her back. His lips placing a kiss on the exposed skin of her shoulder as they entered the building Jessica chose to host the New Year's Reception. Stealing one of the white roses from a show piece on his left, he held it in front of her. "Mrs. Specter," he whispered, turning to face her.

Her fingers fell around his holding the rose, a smile grew on her lips as she felt his hand slide over her cheek, lifting her gaze to meet his. "We can't do this, Mr. Specter," she whispered, her lips pursed together. "We're not at the firm, Donna," he countered his thumb caressing her temple. She closed her eyes for a second, letting her head rest against his hand, her fingers slipping over the lapels of his tuxedo. "But it's a work related event, Harvey," she lawyered him, crooking her head with a smile because she knew she was right. This was what they agreed on. "Rules are –" "Meant to be broken," he whispered before he kissed her.

"Uuuugh," Louis sighed, rolling his eyes at the two in front of them. "Just get married already," he commented as he walked past them.

Letting out a sigh he pulled back, his forehead resting against hers. "We should -" she mumbled, slowly opening her eyes to look at him. "No," he interrupted her, "no we're not telling Louis," he mumbled, his hands moving over her back. "Harv," she whispered, her fingertips curling around the edge of his lapels, a smile appearing on her lips as she felt him pulling her even closer. "No," he mumbled again trying to kiss her, but she stopped him, pressing her index finger against his lips. "Work," she whispered, stepping out of his embrace, blowing him a kiss over her shoulder as she walked away.

The sound of her five inch heels hitting the marble floor faded with every step she took and he crooked his head a bit, taking her in one last time as he turned around to look for the other partners of the firm. Spotting the regal looking managing partner from the corner of his eye, he let out a sigh. "Business time," he mumbled to himself as he made his way over to her.

Two glasses of sparkling champagne in hand he managed to produce a semi genuine smile on his face as he stepped up next to her. "Jessica," he smirked, extending a glass towards her, "you look –"

"I know," she cut him off, "And no," she smiled taking a sip from the glass as she looked at him. "What?" he mumbled, a frown on his face, unsure what she meant. "You're not getting out of this reception just because you finally saw the light after twelve years."

"What?!" he blurted out, nearly choking on his champagne as he eyed the managing partner. "Ooh, come on, Specter," she laughed, "your gaze hasn't left her for a second since the moment you walked into this place," seeing how his eyes landed on the redhead once more. "Goddammit, Harvey," she sighed, "what took you so long?"

"I..." he lost his words. "I knew you were in love with her the second you mentioned her," she gloated taking another sip from her glass as she heard him letting out a deep breath. "Why did it take you two this long?" she asked him as both of them walked to one of the tables on the balcony.

"She had this rule about not getting involved with men she works with," he recalled it, his jaw clenching every time he thinks about that day in the diner when she reinforced that rule. "So nothing ever happened?" the managing partner now mumbled, curious because she never really talked like this with her protégé, the one she, even though being too young, saw as her son. "Once," he sighed, "when we both left the D.A.'s office and right after that we worked together again."

"Why did you ask her to work for you?"

"I wasn't ready," he mumbled, closing his eyes, "it would have screwed everything up and it might have taken a long time but.. Look at what we've got now," he smiled. "I'm proud of you Harvey," she whispered placing her hand on his shoulder. "Starting your own family," she added clinging her glass against his and he frowned for a second taking in the look on her face. The tone she used.

"Since we're opening up and stuff," he mumbled looking at the Manhattan skyline again, "wouldn't you have wanted that? A family?" he added. She closed her eyes for a second, turning around as she let her back rest against the railing, "this," she smiled her hands signalling the event happening inside, "this is my family. My firm."

"I know," he mumbled turning around as well, his head hanging low as he realised once more how little he really knew about the woman that's been supporting his career from the very start. The one that gave him a chance, not just him but also her. Donna. "But that's not what I meant," he mumbled.

She let out a laugh. "You're asking if I wanted to have children?" Her head turning towards him and he nodded. "I don't know.. But I got them anyway," her answer causing him to frown once more. "Louis and you," she smiled, "goddamn stubborn boys, not to mention that gift that keeps on giving you brought along," shaking her head.

Harvey nodded again, she's family. "Thanks mom," he laughed and she slapped him on his chest. "If that kid of yours starts calling me grandma you're fired."

"She isn't even born yet," he laughed, "but I'll keep it in mind.. In case I want out of my non-compete or something." Jessica turned her head towards him, seeing the proud look on his face. "Is it a girl?" she inquired a small smile on her lips, an image of a tiny Donna with two moles above her eyebrow running around the firm coming to mind. "I don't know," he raised his shoulders, "we haven't found out yet."

"What does Donna think?" Jessica countered. "A boy," he laughed, as he realized the point Jessica was getting at. She knew Donna always knew everything. "A boy," he mumbled again, softly this time. "Harvey Specter Jr." Jessica laughed raising her glass once more, "I'll drink to that."

.

She looked around the room, spotting the blonde she invited in the distance. A smile on her lips as she nodded, indicating she'd come over to talk to her soon as her eyes fell back on the two glasses in her hands. Her eyes landing on the two recipients she had in mind when she continued walking down the crowd.

"Gretchen," she smiled handing the older woman one of the glasses, wishing her a happy New Year before she turned towards the man next to her. "Louis," she smiled, handing him the other glass of champagne before she pulled him in for a hug. "Happy New Year Louis," she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek as she let go of him again.

"Same to you," the name partner greeted her as he still hold her arm, taking a step back to really look at his friend. "You look beautiful, Donna," he smiled again as he now noticed how the redhead wasn't holding a drink herself.

"Here," he told her extending the glass back towards her again, "I'll get my own," he smiled, but the redhead stopped him by placing her hand on his. "No, Louis. It's okay," she nodded, but the name partner wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "Donna, really. Please take it," he pushed again, this time resulting in a small sigh from Donna's sigh, closing her eyes as she realized there was only one thing she could do.

"I can't Louis," she mumbled then. Her words causing the balding man to frown. "What do you mean, Donna?" he asked, "it's just a glass of champagne," he added, but she let out a laugh this time. "Louis, thank you. But I can't, maybe in another six months," she smiled, letting her hands rest against her lower abdomen.

The eyes of the lawyer dropped, the words the just pronounced combined with the glow of her skin that was different from what he had once believed to be caused by yoga now only screaming one conclusion. "OMG," he blurted out, the glass dropping from his hand. "You're .. you're.." he mumbled, not even able to pronounce the word, but it was the way that the redhead smiled and nodded at him that made him loose it completely. "I … I need a day," he mumbled walking off again.

"Uhm," Donna mumbled her gaze drifting from the man that just marched off to his secretary again. "Congratulations, Red," she smiled.

.

Harvey looked around the room, his eyes searching for the redhead in the crowd when they landed on someone else instead. That brown hair, smirk smile. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled to the other man in the room, causing him to let out a laugh. "Good to see you too, Harvey," Tanner answered. "Yeah," he sighed, "this is fun and all.. but why are you here?"

"Harvey, Harvey, no need to worry. I'm not here to kick your ass," Tanner commented, "actually.. I came with my wife," he explained raising his shoulders. The words of the lawyer making Harvey's eyes pop open, letting out a laugh. "Your wife?" he mocked, his eyebrows raised, "you are married?"

"Yes," Tanner answered in a serious tone now, "she got invited and I'm her plus one." Harvey shook his head, "good one, you almost had me fooled there," he laughed, but his smile soon faded as the expression of the other man in the room didn't change. "Alright," he continued, "humour me, where's your wife?"

Tanner looked around, the same smirk smile still plastered on his lips as his hand slapped on the lawyer's shoulder. "Right there," he pointed towards the blonde next to Donna, "next to that feisty redhead of yours."

"Don't call – " he countered, "wait," he mumbled now only realizing who the woman next to Donna was, as both women made their way towards them. "Hi honey," Tanner kissed his wife on her cheek as she stood next to him. "Hello Harvey," Paula greeted the man next to her husband.

"I need a day," he sighed his head turning to the left, his hand resting on Donna's back as he looked at her, his head crooked and she pressed her lips together to hold her laugh. He always told her how different he was from Louis, but right now he was exactly the same. She nodded at him in understanding. "Soloff wants to see you," she announced, feeling him squeeze her hand as he walked away, quickly apologizing to both Tanner and Paula. "I'm sorry," Donna continued, extending her hand to shake Tanners, "hello."

.

After three rounds through the room, he started looking for her once more. This time finding the redhead on the balcony he had stood with Jessica not long ago. He admired her from a distance for a second, before he made his way outside himself. The air feeling cold on his face, he immediately took of the jacket of his tuxedo, placing it over her shoulders as he stopped right behind her. "Soloff isn't even here," he mumbled placing a kiss on the top of her head, before he stepped next to her. Letting his elbows lean on the railing, just like she had.

"I know," she smiled looking at him from the corner of her eye, "I just figured you wanted an out," she mumbled and he shook his head. "I can handle Tanner," he countered. "Good," she smiled, making him repeat the word, not sure what she meant. "Cause I invited them over for dinner later this week."

"You .. what.." he mumbled, "I.. fine," he whispered shaking his head. Never in a million years would he have thought to have dinner with Travis Tanner, but if it was what Donna wanted, it's what he would do. "I can't believe those two are married," he mumbled then. "Yeah," she laughed letting her hand slide into his.

"You knew?" he whispered, covering her hands with his as he felt how cold she was. "Yep," she confirmed, making him close his eyes. _Of course she knew._ "Even at the boxing ring?" he whispered. "Yes, even at the boxing ring," she laughed, thinking back to that day. The day that changed it all for them.

"You might have to thank him for all this," she teased him then, letting her head rest against his shoulder. "I'd like to think it was mostly me being ridiculously good-looking," he whispered in her ear. "You can think all you want, Specter," she countered. "Really," he laughed, "so it wasn't me doing .." he whispered in her ear, as his hands moved to her waist. His words causing her to let out a laugh. "Take me home, Specter," she begged.

.

"Why are we doing this again?" he mumbled four plates in his hands as he walked over to his dining room table. "I thought you could handle him," she countered raising her perfectly shaped eyebrow as she placed the cutlery on the table. "Yeah," he mumbled, pulling her in his arms just after she placed down the last knife, "I meant why are we doing this here?"

"Your place is bigger," she commented, letting her arms rest on top of his, as he turned both of them around. "About that," he mumbled, letting his head rest against hers, "we should start thinking about a room for our baby," he added, his words making her melt in his arms. The way he talked about their child.

She lifted her hands, wanting to point at one of the things in the corner and he could sense what she was going to say. "Not this cold and empty space of course," he mocked her words from earlier that week, "I was thinking the study room," he suggested.

Donna smiled, turning around in his arms. "Is this you asking me to move in?" she teased him, her lips curling up even more as she saw that surprised look on his face. "I.. uhm.." he whispered, not sure how to answer this, because last time he mentioned moving in she had said no. "Maybe," she mumbled on his lips before kissing him, "if you make it a real question next time you ask me," she whispered.

The sound of the doorbell ringing making them break out of their little bubble. "Shit," she mumbled rushing through the living room to his bedroom. "Got to get my shoes," she explained as she signalled for him to open the door. Letting out a deep sigh, he turned around on his heels as he made his way to the door. "Welcome," he smiled facing Paula and Travis Tanner.

.

"That was delicious, Donna," Paula smiled as she helped the other woman bringing the dishes to the kitchen, as the men moved to the couch.

"So," Harvey mumbled, he had to admit it. The man may be a pain in the ass as a lawyer, but he knew he could be as well and that just like how Donna brought out the best in him, it was Paula who brought out the best in Travis. Extending a glass of scotch to blue eyed man he sat down opposite of him. "If you were state champion as a kid, why don't you box anymore?" he asked, "professionally I mean."

"Honestly," Tanner sighed, "It was her," he added nodding his head to the blonde in the kitchen. "Used to go to the same college, we were engaged, got a kid together. But she hated it. She hated what that sport did to me. Said it made me ruthless, turn everything off… We split up."

Harvey crooked his head in surprise, "yet you're together now," he mumbled causing Tanner to nod. "We are. Took us sixteen years," he added taking a sip from his glass, "After we broke off the engagement, it only got worse. The way I acted, like I was unbreakable. On top of the world, above the law sometimes maybe even..," he let out laugh. "You've seen me, you know what I was like. And I can't even remember what case it was but she was there, as a witness and we reconnected and I realized what I had missed in my life."

Harvey frowned once more, not getting over the fact how in some way his life was similar to Tanner's. "But you were there," he mumbled then, "at the boxing ring fourteen and a half weeks ago. So you're boxing again?"

Tanner let out a laugh, placing the glass on the table next to the cactus. "I'm flattered that you remember the day we had our last fight to the date, but yeah I box again," he laughed. "Now just for fun, because I love the sport. Not for the money or the fame, but to remind me of the fight. The fight I had within myself, to fight for her and Sophie."

"Sophie?" Harvey repeated taking a sip from his glass. "My daughter," Tanner smiled, "she's eighteen now. Don't know where the time went to be honest," he smiled pulling out his phone to show a picture of the girl with big blue eyes and brown curls. "Harvey," he mumbled again, "don't make the mistake I did. I missed too much of those important moments, not just with Sophie, but with her too," he crooked his head towards Paula again. "I won't," Harvey mumbled, swallowing in the rest of his words as the woman made their way over to them.

"Shall we go home?" Paula asked extending her hand and Tanner nodded, excepting it. "Donna, Harvey," he mumbled nodding at both of them.

.

She felt him turn around again, pulling on the blanket at she let out a sigh as she extended her hand. "Can't sleep?" she whispered as she let her hand rest on his torso. "No," he sighed pulling her closer, his hand sneaking under his old Harvard shirt she was wearing. "Why?" she whispered, but he didn't answer, moving his hand upwards as he let his fingers run over her ribcage.

"Harv," she shivered under his touch, "that's not what I meant," she whispered. "But," he mumbled leaning on his elbow as he hovered above her, "It's. What. You. Caused," he explained in between kisses, before looking at her again. "No," she laughed placing her index finger against his lips, "what's on your mind?" she asked.

"You," he answered, taking her finger in his mouth. "I'm serious," she continued, but biting her own lip. "So am I," he smirked, taking her hand in his. Wet kisses being placed from her wrist down her elbow, her shoulder to the crook of her neck, until his lips hovered above hers. Waiting for a kiss she didn't answer.

"Harv," she whispered again, she needed to know what was going on. Het let out a sigh, letting himself fall back on his back next to her. "I think Tanner gave me advice on life," he mumbled letting out another sigh and she could hear how it bugged him by the tone he used. "Ooh," she mumbled, lifting herself up until she sat down on top of him. A devilish smile on her lips as she pulled her own shirt over her head, her hands falling back on his bare torso.

Drawing patterns on his chest as she moved her lips closer to his. "Donna," he breathed, "what are you doing?" the words being the complete opposite as his hands already moved down to her waist. "Can't. Let. Tanner. Be. The. Last. Thing. You. Think. About. Before. Falling. Asleep," she mumbled in between kisses as her right hand moved down between them, slipping in his boxer briefs. "Fuck, Donna," he blurted out. "Exactly," she smirked kissing him again.

.

He turned around in his desk chair, his gaze falling on her cubicle and he noticed how she wasn't back from the bathroom yet. Brining his hand up to his chin he stared out of the window for a couple of minutes, his mind drifting off from the case he was working on the her every once in a while. The sound of her heels on the floor working as a magnet for his head, turning to face her again. "Donna," he called her over the intercom.

"Yes, Harvey," she chirped as she walked over to him, "what can I do for you?" she asked leaning against his desk, the folders he had been working on in her hands. "I've been thinking," he started looking her. "You? Thinking?" she mocked him shaking her head. "Yeah," he argued leaning forward in his chair, "we should do that more often."

She was taken aback for a second, before her smile returned on her lips. "The.." she whispered seeing that signature smirk reappear on his face, an indication that that was exactly what he meant, "you're insane," argued. "Insanely good," he gloated, biting his lip as he continued to stare at her with his eyebrows raised.

She looked away for a second, letting out a nervous laugh until she regained her posture again. "You're insanely late," she countered pushing the files in his hands, "Dominic is waiting for you in conference room C," she added walking out again.

.

He let out a sigh, slamming the file closed again as he pushed the manila folder to Mike who sat next to him. "You cut them a side deal," he blurted out, "what the hell Dominic. We went over this," he blurted out. "No," Dominic commented, "Your associate and I went over it."

"Bullshit, and you know it," Harvey shot back, clenching his jaw as he leaned back in his chair, thinking about how they were going to fix this mess as the door to the conference room swung open. "Mr. Specter?" the voice of an intern interrupted the already heated meeting. "What?" Harvey snarled back turning around in his chair, "can't you see I'm in meeting?!" The intern took a step back. "Yes, I… I do," the young man mumbled, "but –" "But what?" Harvey asked annoyed.

"But Ms. Paulsen send me to get you," he stuttered, "she said it was urgent."


	30. Chapter 30 - The Baby Book

**Hi everyone! Remember me/ this fic? Can't believe it's been 2 months since I updated, I'm sorry and I'll try to be quicker this time. Thank you to MarieDononvan, EmMNarang2513, DonnaSpecter, Taylornewland, Tvseriesislife, Sof, Cadalways, xninafun, Spectering, Elegentis, Lau and guests for your reviews. They really make me so happy, you have no idea. So besides the fact it has been two months, I also can't believe we're at the 30th! chapter and over 100.000 words.. It's insane and I never pictured this upfront, but I hope you're still enjoying it as much as I like writing it (even if it takes long).. So without much further ado.. Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it, and maybe leave a review. x**

 **PS: Happy Mother's day to you all on this #SarahSunday..**

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.

 **Chapter 30: The Baby Book**

" _But Ms. Paulsen send me to get you. She said it was urgent,"_ the words were on repeat on his mind, his heart beat started to increase and he could feel his breath faltering as his throat dried up. Lifting himself up as he pushed his chair back, his vision blurry, the files in front of him falling to the ground by the sudden movement. With every step he took his pace increased, the short distance from the conference room to his office the only thing that prevented him from running.

His heart dropped once more as he saw the empty cubicle in front of him, his head immediately angling to the right. A flash of red hear in the corner confirming his first instinct, that she would be in his office. His feet carried him towards the black leather couch. "Donna?" he mumbled concerned as he sat down next to her, the smile on her face calming him down, but confusing him even more.

"Donna?" he mumbled again, slower this time as her left hand covered his. "Feel," she whispered placing his hand on her stomach. "Do you feel that?" she smiled, her fingers intertwining with his as she studied his face. Seeing his mouth drop a little before it turned into that big Cheshire cat smile she loved seeing so much. "Is that?"

"Yes," she whispered, her right hand brushing past his cheek as she gave him a brief kiss on his lips. His thumb brushed over her stomach, his head leaning against the side of her head. "Is this really our pumpkin?" he whispered, wrapping his right arm around her shoulder pulling her closer.

"It is," she let her head rest against his chest. "Have you felt this before?" he mumbled, their hand still intertwined as she let out a laugh. "Why did you think I pulled you out of that meeting?"

"Because Mike was annoying?" he laughed and she smiled, "yeah, I'd do that too."

.

She let out a laugh, her fingers digging into his hair as she made him look up at her. His lips still on her stomach, he kissed his way up to her lips. Replacing his lips with his hand, caressing every inch of her tiny baby bump with military precision. She let her head rest against his, "what are you doing?" she teased him as he kept repeating the same movements over and over again.

"Just making sure I don't miss a single move of our baby boy," he smiled, his lips placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Boy?" she whispered, pulling her head back. Her eyes meeting his, she smirked. "Well," he laughed as he now realized she hadn't even noticed she did that, "you're always saying he and him, so.."

"A boy," she repeated smiling, her head slowly nodding as she seemed to get used to the idea. Her hand covering his on her stomach, "do you want to find out? For real?" she whispered. "It would be easy to know which colour to paint to study."

"Harv," she giggled by the touch of his lips on her stomach again. She smiled, her eyes closing, but she wasn't sure if this was yet another masked way of asking her to move in or him not really wanting to find out what the sex of their baby is. "I'd love to know, Donna," he pulled her closer, "but I'll agree to whatever you want to do."

xxx

He watched her smile in her sleep as she snuggled up against him, her vibrant auburn lock sprawled out over his white sheets. "Can't you fall back asleep?" she mumbled, not even opening her eyes as she let her arm run over his chest. Harvey let out a soft laugh, "usually you're the one who has to drag me out of bed, Donna," his breath warm against her forehead and he noticed her smile again.

"I'm sleeping for two, Harvey," her arm holding onto him even more, "can't we go to the firm an hour later?"

His lips curled up in his signature smirk, as he decided not to comment about her eating for two as well. "Sure," he whispered laying himself back down in his bed. "I called the doctor this morning, to ask about another ultrasound," his left hand brushing over her head, his fingers playing with her hair. "So you do know how to set an appointment," she smirked.

"Only the important ones," he smiled, "but I really want to know, Donna and once we know we can go shopping and fixing the room for this little one here," his hand tapping her stomach again. "Harv," she whispered, her hand stopping his, "sssh."

"And I think we should look into kindergartens and schools, because those are extremely difficult to get into. I mean I read we might even be late already with those, so maybe even look at Harvard and or Yale.. you know for that change he or she is going to want to act like his or her mother."

"Harvey," she sighed once more as she rolled out of his arms, pulling back the sheets as she walked herself over to the bathroom. "Names, Donna," he mumbled after her, "we should really start thinking about names too."

"Yeah," she waved her hand at him a signal to stop talking as she entered the adjacent room. Her knees giving in, until she found herself hugging the toilet boil again, like most mornings. "Donna?" he mumbled, now following her as he heard strange noises emerging.

"I'm sorry," he kneeled down next to her, letting his hand ran over her back, "you know I didn't say all this to get you out of bed, right?" Donna closed her eyes, laughing as she faced him again. "You're always trying to get me in your bed, Specter. I know," she whispered flushing the toilet as she let him help her get back on her feet.

"I wish I could make the nausea stop," he handed her a tissue and she cleaned her face. "It's okay," she whispered, "I'll just make you change the diapers." He shook his head, trying to hold his smile. Not even bothering to comment on that, both of them knowing he'd do anything for her anyway. Including changing nappies.

Brushing their teeth, side by side his eyes never left hers in the mirror. A smile plastered across both their lips as if they knew something only the other could possibly know, he stepped closer to her. Letting his arms wrap around her shoulders, placing a kiss on top of her head. "I love you," his words making her close her eyes and turn around in his embrace. Her arms wrapped around him she lifted herself up on her feet. Her nose brushing against his as she replied with the same words.

"You can stay home if you want," he whispered and she smiled pulling him closer. "You made one appointment and you already think you could manage without me," she teased him. "I wouldn't," he admitted, "but if you're not feeling well."

"Harvey, I'm pregnant," she smiled kissing him, "not sick. I'm fine."

.

He turned the corner, entering Mike's office without a nod or any other sign of a warning. "You wanted to see me?" Mike looked up from his laptop, rolling his eyes as his boss strolled inside. The usual amount of swagger he carried even increased. "Yeah," he sighed, a reaction that didn't go unnoticed to the older man.

"God, you look pissed. Did Rachel give you a hard time?" he pretended to actually care, and maybe deep down he did. Maybe being with Donna and becoming a father had turned him soft. "No," Mike shook his head, "she didn't do anything wrong. You on the other hand."

"Okay," Harvey rocked back and forth on his feet, "I'm not having this conversation," he turned to face the door, but Mike's reply was quicker. "Why didn't you tell me?" Harvey sighed, his eyebrows turning into a frown as he faced his associate again. "That Donna is pregnant," Mike crooked his head, apparently he still needed to spell things out for the man, "why didn't you tell me?"

Harvey looked down, "Rachel knew," he briefly raised his shoulder as if that was enough of an explanation, "I figured she'd already –" Mike shook his head, "She expected you to tell me in person and so did I," he swallowed. "Look Mike," Harvey tried, but Mike got up out of his chair this time. "I had to find out from Louis! Louis of all people."

"Look, I'm sorry," Harvey ran his hand through his hair. "Yes, Donna's pregnant and we're very happy about it," he smiled, "but if it was up to me I wouldn't have told anyone." Mike frowned at his bosses words, not sure how he had expected to keep that a secret. "Rachel found out herself," Harvey started to explain, "God knows why Donna told Louis, but if he suggests making the baby listening to ballet one more time, I'll have to strip him of his name partner title." Mike laughed, shaking his head. "And Jessica," Harvey sighed pulling the chair across Mike's desk back, sitting down slowly. "She just showed up at the wrong time."

"Ooh god," the younger man shot back, letting himself fall back in his desk chair, "you two weren't, were you?" he didn't even dare to look at Harvey, but the way he sighed gave away that that wasn't the case. "I was holding the sonogram," his words making Mike roll his eyes, he never expected his boss to be so sentimental.

"And besides," Harvey scoffed now, "It's my office. My name's on the wall, so I can do whatever the hell I want. And where I want," he let his hand tap against Mike's desk, who's eyes widened. Just swallowing and deciding not to comment on it. "So," he chirped, changing the subject, "am I getting a baby brother or sister?"

This time it was Harvey who stared at the other man with his eyes wide, confusion written over his face. "Well?" Mike pushed. "You're not our kid Mike," Harvey countered, causing the associate to pout. "Aaaw, come on. This is the closest I get to becoming a big brother, you know with me being a –"

"Don't," Harvey stopped him shaking his head. "Don't play the orphan card, it's un-suiting. Besides neither of us are even old enough to be your parents." "You two basically adopted me when you hired me," Mike shot back, "so that makes you two my surrogate parents." Harvey just sighed, wondering why he hired the kid in the first place. "Ooh come on," Mike smiled, "you two love me."

"I don't hate you, if that's what you mean."

.

Walking back to his office, his head turned towards her cubicle like it always had and always will and it shouldn't have come to as a surprise to him, especially lately. But she wasn't there. Again. His hand traced the edge of her desk, a small smile on his lips as he looked into his own office. The only other place she could be, the place he had never considered to be just his office. But theirs. Just like they made partner, they got a bigger office.

He noticed her sitting on the lounger, her head tilted backwards and her eyes closed. He smiled, quietly opening the door as he walked towards his desk. His eyes still directed on Donna, his lips curling up into a smile as he sat himself down in his desk chair.

"Hi," she whispered, her eyes remained closed and he repeated the word as he rolled his chair towards her. His hand brushed over her head, "are you sure you're okay?" he whispered, seeing her nod. "I'm just tired, Harvey, that's all," her eyes blinking slowly until they closed again. His hand moved to her shoulder, and her arm, as he got out of his chair. "Let's get you home," he pulled her on her feet.

.

She let out a yawn, her arms stretching to either side of his bed. She smiled, staring at the ceiling as she pulled the cover up to her chin, her arms falling back around it. Her head turning to the right she pulled his pillow closer and she took in his cologne as she remembered all the things he mentioned that morning.

He told her before that he was in this, that he wanted everything with her, but for him to know all that. To worry about schools and decorating a room. Thinking about names, she never really pictured him to be so invested in this. _That's not true,_ she corrected herself, she knew exactly how he was, it just scared her a bit that he knew more than her about all this.

She rolled out of the bed on his side, put on some sweatpants to match his Harvard shirt as she reached for the book he had bought a few weeks ago. She let out a laugh as she read the title once more, _'Help I got my hot wife pregnant.'_ Her head shaking from left to right she walked back to the living room, her head automatically turning to the left. "Hey, " she mumbled, confused. "You're here?"

"Had a meeting on 81st and figured I could work here for the rest of the afternoon," he looked up to her, "and now I could look after you." She shook her head, biting her tongue trying to hide her smile. "You mean you missed me?" He let out a sigh, shaking his head as his eyes met hers. Licking his lips he swallowed once again, "you know I would," his eyes dropped to the book in her hands, "hey is that –"

"Yes," she nodded, lifting the book. "Uhm.. this morning, when you started about school and stuff.. I uhm.. I'm sorry," she shook her head, "I guess I'm just not used to not knowing everything and this," she signalled her belly, "I have a lot to learn." He reached for her hand, making her meet his eyes again. "Don't worry," he smiled, "you're going to be an amazing mother."

xxx

She let her hands warm around the cup of tea as she sat down on the black leather couch again. Her knees pulled up and the book on her lap. She stared at the picture of the ultrasound from that morning, her mind drifting off to that smile on Harvey's face again. When they saw their baby for the second time, how he couldn't stop grinning when the nurse they were expecting a baby boy.

How he'd hugged her and told her he was happy. How he'd asked her if she was happy and all she could do in that moment was hug him and nod her head. Trying to hold her laugh as he whispered, "see you're Donna. You knew."

She lifts the image with a smile, her fingers tracing the white lines. "Hey, little pumpkin," she whispered, bringing the piece of paper to her lips. Placing a kiss on it, her right hand falling to her stomach as she felt a small kick in that moment. "Hi," she whispered again, her hand covering the spot on her belly the baby kept kicking.

She let out a sigh, opening the book on her lap. With Harvey having send her home again, after her falling asleep in his office the day before there was not much else she could do. Flipping through the book she noticed some scribbles on the edges of the pages in his handwriting. Slowly she overturned the pages back to the first one with his handwriting, deciding to read what seemed to be his notes.

" _ **Find out what Donna wants, it aren't pickles."**_

Donna smiled as she saw the message pointing with an arrow to a section about cravings, as she remembered going through some cabinets a few weeks back. Seeing one shelf stacked with jars of pickles she had frowned, but not asked him why. When she found a shelf in her own kitchen filled with the same products she finally realised what he had done.

She reached for her red pen, deciding to answer the questions he obviously had but didn't tell her about in the book too. _**You**_ _,_ she dotted down with a small heart, a content smile on her face as she pictured his reaction, _**and cheese and chunky monkey**_ _,_ she added between brackets.

Page after page she read his notes, adding her thoughts or answers to it she reached the chapter about baby names. Her heart skipping a beat as she read his handwriting, how he wrote about her talking about a boy and that that could only mean that they would have indeed a boy. Her eyes scanned the rest of the page, seeing three short lists.

 _ **Possible Baby Names for a Boy:**_

 _ *** Gordon**_

 _ *** ..**_

 _ **Names to avoid:**_

 _ *** Stephen**_

 _ *** Mitch**_

 _ *** Raoul**_

Donna swallowed as she realised what the second list was. The names of some of the men she'd been involved with. Stephen, the guy who turned out to be a murderer. She closed her eyes, Harvey was right they couldn't possibly let their kid be a namesake of that man. Mitch, the guy who made her choose between him and Harvey. She'd chosen Harvey, she always had and always will. She smiled, thinking how that turned out to be the perfect choice, as her eyes fell onto the third name. She never really dated or did anything with

Raoul from accounting, but he had proposed to her and somehow Harvey must have found out and all of a sudden she wondered if that had been the reason the guy had transferred to another firm.

She decided it was best to not add any other names to the second list. They both knew it had taken them a long time to get together, they both knew there had been others. She didn't know his number and he didn't know hers and she was fine by that, she could only imagine the list of girls names to avoid if she were to make a list like that, but if she had to be honest there were only three names she would add on that list too. _Dana, Zoe and Lily._ As soon as the mental list was finished, her gaze landed on the third list.

 _ **Possible Baby Names for a Girl**_ _ **\- in**_ _ **case Donna for once doesn't know everything (probably not) or if we ever have the luck to also have a little girl:**_

 _ *** Donna**_

 _ *** Amanda**_

 _ *** Debbie or Debra**_

 _ *** A name of a flower, like Iris or Rose (but her sister's called Rose) .. Are there any normal orchid names?**_

She let out a laugh as she noticed how the first name was her own, she scribbled down how it under no circumstances could be Roberta, because she hated that name herself. How there aren't any normal names for an orchid, but she smiled as she remembered referring to herself twelve years ago.

.

His fingers tapped the steering wheel in a constant rhythm, the pace just increasing as he neared the destination of his two hour drive up North. He could feel his breathing become heavier as he turned the corner of the street he'd only been a couple of times before. Usually with Donna or to pick her up. This time it was just him. He rocked back and forth on his feet as he rang the bell. His head hanging low, patiently waiting for someone to open the door.

"Harvey?" Martha sounded surprised as she saw the lawyer on her door step. "Good to see you, son," she chirped wrapping her arms around him, like she had always done when he saw her. He'd never told Donna or her mother for that matter how much those words meant to him. He'd seen her family as his own family from the very start.

"Martha," Harvey smiled as she invited him inside. "Just you?" the older redhead commented as she closed the door behind him, seeing the lawyer nod slowly. "So how's my daughter? And grandchild? They're okay, aren't they?" she spoke quickly as she guided the man to the living room, that looked exactly as he remembered it to be.

"Yes," he nodded, trying to wave away any doubt him showing up alone might have caused. "Yes, they're perfectly fine. The baby's doing great, he's about the size of a bell pepper now," Harvey smiled as he tried to signal with his hands how big that would be.

"He?" Martha crooked her head, "it's a boy?"

Harvey swallowed, his eyes widening as his mouth slowly dropped. They'd decided to keep that for themselves for just a little longer. "Please don't tell her I let that slip," he begged, letting his hand run through his hair as he wondered how this happened. His eyes meeting those of her mother again, "but yes," he smiled.

"Do you have any names yet?" Martha continued excited, her questions finding him of guard. "Uhm," he swallowed, "we haven't really talked about that yet," he quickly raised his shoulders. "James will be so excited," Martha nearly beamed, "a grandson."

"Yeah," Harvey smiled nervously, "please don't tell anyone else just yet.. Is Mr. Paulsen here?" finally able to ask what he wanted to know from the beginning. "Ooh, you're secret is safe with us," she patted him on the back as she turned in the direction of the hallway, "James," she called out for her husband once more.

"He'll be down in a second. Coffee?" she asked, signalling once more for him to sit down. "Yes please," he nodded. "So, why did you come up here all by yourself?" she mumbled on her way to the kitchen. "I uhm.. I wanted," he paused for a second, "I needed to ask Mr. Paulsen something?"

"You couldn't do that over the phone?" James voice interrupted Harvey's conversation with Martha, and the lawyer slowly turned around. "I was in the neighbourhood," he lied, holding his breath as he remembered how her father and him didn't really get along. Not without the woman they both loved present.

"He's joking, son," Martha handed him a cup of vanilla flavoured coffee as she gave her husband a warning look. "Now you two boys have a good chat," she smiled as she walked off again.

"So," James looked at his daughter's boss, best friend and now officially also boyfriend. "So," Harvey swallowed as both man sat down.

"I wanted to ask you - "


	31. Chapter 31 - Questions

**OMG. THANKS everyone for the reviews! We went over 300 comments. I'm .. really I have no words. THANK YOU so much for your support. I really love reading your views, so I wanted to update this fic this weekend, but then Sarah RT'd my darvey tweet and I became such trash.. I finished this. So I'll leave it at that. I hope you enjoy it and maybe leave a review? x**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Questions**

Martha continued waving as she watched Harvey drive of in the distance, her arms now wrapped around her chest she returned to her husband. "And?" she whispered, a hint of excitement clear in her voice, "did he ask you?"

James frowned, his eyebrows touching the frame of his glasses as he stared at his wife. "Ask what?" he stared at the redheaded woman, she was exactly like their oldest daughter. Always able to ask the right questions. "Did he ask you if he could propose to Donna? You did say yes, didn't you!"

"What?" the older man continued. "Jim," she slapped him on his chest, "You know how much Donna has always loved him.. If you said 'no' I might divorce you again," she frowned at the man in front of her.

.

Harvey let out a relieved sigh as he looked in his rear view mirror, before he made a right turn entering the high way. He had dreaded the conversation with Mr. Paulsen, somehow the two men didn't get along that well. He knew it was most likely a combination of him turning down Donna's father's request for an investment seven years ago. His behaviour back in the day and first and foremost for being so utterly blind when it came to the man's daughter, but all in all it had gone quite well.

He let out another breath as he thought back to the conversation he'd just had.

" _I wanted to ask you," he paused, placing his cup of coffee on the table as he let his hands rest on his knees. His fingers fidgeting with the fabric of his suits pants a bit, as he looked up again. "If you can marry my daughter?" Mr. Paulsen asked._

" _No," Harvey answered out of reflex, because that wasn't why he'd come to see the man. It wasn't the question he wanted to ask. "You don't?" James shot back as he leaned back in his chair, "son, I don't know how it works in your family, but you got my baby girl pregnant and –"_

" _Don't," Harvey's loud voice made the older man swallow in the rest of his sentence. "Yes," he said calmly now looking away again, "of course I'd want to marry her and I will. It's just.. We," he paused once more he remembered how she asked him not to tell her father they were already married._

" _You what?" James pushed, making Harvey look at him again. "Donna and I .. we uhm, we talked about that and we want to take things slow. She .. uhm.. she… When she told me she was pregnant, we weren't exactly together yet," he swallowed._

 _James frowned, his jaw clenching but he decided it was better to let the man explain. "I've always loved your daughter," he pressed his lips together in a smile, "I have and I do, I really do. It has just taken us a bit long to realise that the work relationship we had wasn't enough and we talked a lot. Therapy actually, together," Harvey looked down, it was hard, but he knew he had to explain._

" _One thing led to another and there was this start of something, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't somehow mess things up. There was a fight, a misunderstanding really. Both of us doing the opposite of what we had wanted to do, if only we had talked and before we got a chance to do so, Donna found out she was pregnant with my child."_

" _And?"_

" _And I told her that I was on board with it, no matter what," Harvey reassured her father, "that I love her and that I would love our baby. That I would want for the two of us to be together and she told my she only wanted that if I really loved her because of who she is, regardless of the pregnancy."_

" _I know you do, otherwise you wouldn't have come to see me seven years ago," James confirmed. Harvey nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't regret doing what he did all those years ago, but the way he went about it could have been better. "I do. And I'm sorry about the way I spoke to you back then, but yeah. I love her and deep down I've always loved her, but we agreed to take things slow."_

" _Slow? After all those years?" James crooked his head to the right._

" _I know," Harvey scoffed, "and to come back to your question, I know that marriage isn't on the table just yet," he improvised once more, "but I would like for her to move in with me. Yet every time I bring up that subject, talk about changing the study into a baby room, she brushes it off."_

" _You need to learn to listen to her," James countered. "You really think I don't?" Harvey frowned. "That's not what I said," James sighed, his head slowly shaking, "but yeah. You're missing something here. Do you really know her?" the older man asked._

" _Do I really know her?" Harvey repeated now, annoyance clear in his voice, "we've been working together for twelve years. Of course I know her."_

" _Exactly work," James shot back, "what's her favourite song? Her favourite colour. What's she afraid of, what's her favourite childhood memory? What did she never tell you, but hoped you'd know or do anyway?"_

 _Harvey swallowed, closing his eyes as he thought back to that rule again and how he never did the one thing she really wanted him to do. Break it, bend it or re-write it. Like he had done with every other rule._

" _You already know what she wants you to do."_

 _Harvey remained quiet once more, his head hanging low as he went over the conversation he had just now. She wanted him to love her for who she was, and he did. She wanted him to take things slow, because of that. But did she really want that? Or was this one of those new rules again, one he was supposed to break._

" _Harvey, I know you love her and you think you know her. I get it, I do, but believe me when I say there's so much more to learn. Not just about her, but about the two of you together," James smiled, "take the time you have now. Before the baby comes. Make sure to do thing you wished you'd done. Make memories for just the two of you, because in another five months your life is going to get turned upside down all over again. It will be amazing, but it will be tough."_

 _Harvey nodded, "yeah.. ," his mind still on overdrive._

" _Harvey, what was it that you wanted to ask?" James continued, still wondering why the lawyer had come over in the first place. "Her moving in," Harvey mumbled, "I should make it just about her. Not the baby, like she said." Harvey looked back up to her father, "I thought about buying this couch she really likes, because she complains about mine. But I.. I need something more special, so I can show her how serious I am Is there –"_

" _She doesn't care about things, Harvey," James interrupted him, "she just needs to hear you say it."_

" _I know," Harvey nodded, "and I will… it's just, your daughter has this amazing talent to make me forget what I wanted to say in the first place –" James laughed out loud, thinking back to how his daughter could do that to him too. The older men let out a sigh, giving in to Harvey's request. "I assume she told you what happened when she was thirteen?" he paused watching Harvey nod once more, "did she tell you about her piano?"_

" _Piano?"_

 _James smiled, "her piano. We couldn't bring it with us when we moved from Cortland to here." Harvey smiled, nodding at the older man as he watched James write down the details of the object. "Thank you, Mr. Paulsen," he smiled as he got up on his feet again._

" _It's James. Good luck, Harvey," James smiled as he shook the lawyers hand, "ooh and don't wait too long with asking her that other question, will you?"_

.

"I told him about her piano," James answered then, "he wants to get it for her and ask her to move in with him." Martha's lips curled up slightly, "Just move in? James you -" she stared at him in anticipation. "Don't worry," he pulled his wife in for a hug, "Of course I gave him my blessing. Anything for my little girl."

.

He stared in the mirror of the elevator, the one that was taking him to the top floor. His penthouse apartment, his eyes fell on the door sign once more.

' _Harvey & Donna'_

"Do you want to move in with me?" he whispered softly as his right hand turned the key. His eyes still glued to the sign, hoping that sign soon would be the truth. His mind already drifting off to a replacement with not only their names but a third one. The one of their son.

He slowly closed the door behind him, trying not to make too much noise as he noticed how the lights were already turned off. Placing his keys on the kitchen counter, he took of his jacket. His shoes disappearing somewhere between there and the couch as he noticed one lamp turned on in his bedroom.

"Donna," he whispered as he crossed the doorframe, but she didn't answer. The sound of soft snores warming his heart and he smiled, as he remembered reading about that. Harvey changed clothes and sat himself down next to her on the duvet. Trying not to wake her, he gently lifted her hand that lay on the baby book, placing it on the night stand as he kissed the top of her head.

"Sleep well, red," he mumbled as he slid under the duvet on the other side of the bed. Wrapping his arm around her as he moved up next to her. "You're back," she mumbled, her hand sliding over his, making their digits intertwine, "how did you meeting go?"

"Perfect," he placed a kiss on her shoulder, "you should go back to sleep."

xxx

He heard her laugh over the intercom, his eyes flickering up from his screen to the auburn locks twelve feet away. He watched her smile as she looked at all the post it notes scattered over her desk. He hadn't had the change to ask her what he wanted, nor did he have a change to ask her any of those other questions. The ones he had scribbled down in the book, but he had seen answers to those questions been written with red ink.

His eyes locked with hers as she pulled several notes from her desk, her feet carrying her inside his office. He quickly closed the browser with his research regarding her piano, before he looked at her again. "Donna," he smiled.

"Harvey," she answered in the same tone, her eyebrows raised as she placed the first note back on his desk and tossed him a pen. "We will not make the baby room look like a basketball court," she smiled, "White, neutral colours with a bit of blue," she smiled. "And before you ask, we will not name him after Jordan or any of those other basketball players that signed those," she pointed at the objects in the window sill.

Harvey looked over his shoulder to his precious collection and back to the most precious thing in his life ever, a fake pout on his lips. "Fine," he sighed, "but no Shakespeare characters either then." She laughed, extending her hand. "Deal," she whispered as he shook hers.

"These kindergartens all look great," she continued placing another note back on his desk, "but I like to see the places in person before we decide." He smiled, "Okay, we'll visit them all. If you can set an appointment somewhere over three weeks?"

"Three weeks?" she frowned, "a couple of days ago we were already late with thinking about this. Why three weeks?" Harvey closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he wondered once more if he'll ever be able to surprise her. "You'll see soon enough. It's a surprise."

She raised her eyebrows, trying to read his expression, but he didn't give in. "Okay," she smiled, looking down to her hands again as she moved onto the next post it. "Good idea, but I'm not going to a pregnancy class alone," she pointed at him. "I know," he nodded. "And you will join me, do whatever they make us do without any comments or threats to sue the instructor."

"I –" he paused, letting out a sigh as she crooked her head looking at him, "yeah you're right. I'd do that. Okay fine, but I will not do any yoga partner class." Donna let out a laugh, "I didn't know that existed," she teased him, "we'll see about that."

"Next," she smiled, holding the post it note in front of him.

 _ **Harvey Specter Jr.**_

"What?" he laughed, "it's a boy," he raised his shoulders in defence, making Donna smile even more. Her head shaking from left to right as she decided to not even comment on this, instead making her exit. "I haven't seen you make any name suggestions yet," he called after her, his words making her turn on her heels. "Ooh, when I do and I will," she smirked, "it will be the perfect name."

He bit his lip, looking away from that confident smile she was giving him. "I'll hold you to that."

.

xxx

Her hands moved over her desk again, her eyes falling on the white orchid in the corner he had given her when they'd just gotten together. It was still blooming, but if she had to be honest she had hoped for another bouquet of flowers, red roses for example, to decorate her desk. Especially on this day.

Her eyes flickered up as she heard the squeal of her best friend down the hallway. Seeing her jump in place as the other associate stood in front of her with a box of chocolates and of course a bouquet of red roses. She looked down again, her eyes falling back on the calendar.

February 14th :: Valentine's Day

She never cared much for the day. Most years she spend it being single, or with a random date. Nothing special, but deep down all those times had one thing in common. The secret wish that Harvey would finally notice her, realize that she wasn't just a secretary to him. Year after year she secretly hoped he'd show up like Mike just did in front of Rachel, with flowers.

But he never did, she looked over her left shoulder into his office. He didn't do so today either. She let out a small sigh as she turned back to her own computer, she shouldn't be surprised or disappointed. She knew what he was like, she knew he didn't remember these kind of things and she knew she shouldn't have expected him to do anything special. But she had and she blamed it on these hormones as she swallowed, wiping away a tear as another romantic commercial popped up on her screen.

His chin resting against his hand, his eyes looked in her direction again. "Donna, could you get me copies of the transcript," he called her over the intercom, the fingers of his left hand fidgeting with the ticket in the pocket of his suit pants. He leaned back in his chair, waiting for the redhead to enter his office.

"Here," she smiled bending forward as she placed the folder on his desk. He took in her expression, his eyes momentarily dropping to her chest, her breasts almost popping out of her dresses these days. "Do you need anything else?" he woke up from his thoughts again, his eyes meeting hers once more.

"No," he shook his head, as he still studied her expression, how she got back up on her feet and turned around. "Donna?" he mumbled once more, making her turn around again. "Everything alright?" he got out of his chair as he walked towards her. "Everything's fine, Harvey," she smiled trying to walk away again, but his hand on her waist prevented her from doing so.

"Donna, I know something is wrong," he whispered, his right hand moving to her face. Making her look him in the eye again. "I can see it on your face. What's going on?" She let out a breath, her eyes closing as she mumbled the words. "It's Valentine's Day," she wallowed, "and I –"

"You hoped I'd do something?" he turned her around, taking a step towards his table as he pointed at the gift box in front of her. "I kind of hoped to wait for tonight to give it you, but.. " he moved in towards her. "You," she mumbled, her hands falling around his, a smile turning on her face. "Of course I didn't forget," he placed a kiss on top of her head.

.

She looked at him, a smirk smile on his lips as he lifted his glass. Taking a sip from his wine and she let out a sigh, her knife falling down to the table. "Not fair," she mumbled, pushing her chair back, her eyes still locked with his. "What?" he looked up from his glass, but he knew exactly what she meant.

Her hand fell around his, removing the glass from his grip and placing it on the table behind her. "I can't drink," she whispered, her hand now on his vest, slipping over his torso to his shoulders as she sat herself down on his lap. "So you shouldn't either," her lips teasingly brushing against his, until she kissed him.

"Are you kissing me because I drank wine just now?" he mumbled on her lips, his nose brushing past hers as he tried to look her in the eye. "Maybe," she kissed him again, her hands falling around his neck as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

"Thank you," she breathed against his lips, "for dinner, for all the flowers," she gave him a quick kiss, "for that adorable little blue romper. Thank you," she smiled. "Told you I didn't forget," he smirked, "how about the gifts you've gotten for me?" he teased, his hands moving to her hips.

She let out laugh, her hand catching his as she stood back up. A little tug on his hand indicating him to follow her, his head crooked and eyebrows raised her questioned her expression. "I'm wearing your other gift," the words barely left her lips before he pulled her back. His lips crashing on hers, his right hand moved to her back, struggling with the zipper for a few seconds before he finally managed to pull it down. His hands helping remove the straps from her shoulders until the black dress pooled around her feet.

"Wow," he mumbled taking a step back, admiring his present before he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands playing with his hair he carried her to the bedroom. "You. Know," he mumbled in between kisses as he placed her down, his head hovering above hers. "I have something that goes perfectly with this," his finger tapping the little bow in the middle of her bra.

She bit her lip, her hand running over his arm. "You're not wearing your cousins bikini, are you?" she giggled as she saw his mouth drop. "Cause lilac with white daisies really doesn't match with this red lace," she smiled, referring to this picture she'd once seen of a six year old Harvey. Her hand moving to his cheek, to close his gaping mouth. "Who?" he sighed, giving in to her touch. "Marcus," she whispered, her fingers opening the buttons of his dress shirt. "The bastard," he mumbled, the rest of his accusations not pronounced as her hand drawing patterns on his bare torso distracted him.

"But," he leaned forward, his lips on her jaw, kissing his way up to her ear lope, "that's not what I meant," he whispered, his hand extending to open one of the drawers of a nightstand. She threw her head back, a laugh escaping her lips as she heard the sound of the cap popping off the can. "Ooh god," her hand catching his, the can in between them, "you didn't."

"I can't believe we did this only once," he argued fighting her hands for the bottle. "It was a very long night, Specter," she countered his words, managing to flip him around, sitting down on top of him. The movement catching him off guard, she got hold of the can. A smirk plastered on her lips, she pressed the nozzle drawing a heart on his chest.

.

She let her head rest back against his shoulder, her hands resting on his knees she giggled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips in the crook of her neck, mumbling how he loved her. "I have one more surprise for you," he whispered in her ear. "Me too," she smiled, "but you first."

She felt him extending his right hand towards the nightstand again and she let out a laugh, "another bottle of whipped cream," her words making him laugh now. "No," he kissed her cheek, "something better."

"Better?"

"Something completely different," he corrected himself as he held the envelope in front of her. She frowned, he couldn't see it, but he knew she did. "Open it," he whispered and she nodded in response. Her right hand lifted two tickets from the envelope, her mouth dropping as she read the destination on it. "OMG," she covered her mouth with her left hand, "are you serious, Harvey?" she looked over her shoulder to him. A big smile plastered across his face.

"Yes," he nodded, "just you and me. Ten days." She let out another squeal as she turned around quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you," she kissed him, "thank you. Thank you, thank you." He hugged her back, "best thing yet. No work this time."

"Perfect," she whispered and he agreed. "So," his eyes still locked with hers as he drew abstract patterns on her sides, "since one of my presents is now discarded on the floor, what was that other surprise you were talking about?"

"Just wait a second," she whispered as she rolled out of his embrace. Bending forward to scoop up his dress shirt, she tiptoed to the living room as she put it on. "Donna," he crooked his head as she stayed away longer than he hoped for. "Patience," he heard her call back from the living room, his confusion only growing when she seemingly returned empty handed.

"Weren't you going to grab my surprise?" he challenged her as she climbed back on the bed. One leg on either side of his knees. His hands on her waist, he stared at her as she gave him this devilish grin she'd mastered. "I did," she smiled, as she started undoing the buttons of his shirt again.

He frowned at her, not sure what was going on, but he surely wasn't going to object. Button after button his gaze lowered, until his eyes landed onto the yellow piece of paper stuck on the top of her baby bump. His lips turning into a big grin as he removed the post it note reading _'Gordon'_ from her stomach and lifted it in front of her face. "Really?" he whispered.

"Really."


	32. Chapter 32 - A Trip Down Memory Lane I

**Hi Everyone! First of all thank you so much for your reviews, I really love reading them and your input. I also saw this fic now has over 200 followers and I'm just in awe.. really. Thank you!**

 **SO onto this chapter, I have been wanting to write this chapter for sooo long now, but it didn't fit the story until now; it did however gotten so long that I decided to cut it in 2 parts, but don't worry the second part will be posted soon. One last thing, the chapter is both present time and a flashback ( _italic parts_ ) to a year after she followed him to the firm. **

**I hope you like it and would love to read your thoughts, so don't forget to review :) xx**

* * *

 **Chapter 32: A Trip Down Memory Lane Part I**

 _*11 years ago*_

 _He looked at her from a distance, his elbow leaning on the edge of her cubicle. Her empty cubicle. He studied the way she picked out record after record from his collection, all different from the song she was singing. He could hear her voice over the intercom._

 _Si lo so_

 _Amore che io e te_

 _Forse stiamo insieme_

 _Solo qualche istante_

 _Zitti stiamo_

 _Ad ascoltare_

 _Il cielo_

 _He swallowed, his gaze lowering as she started swaying around, her arms in the air, her long legs and bare feet dancing between the cabinet on the left and his desk. He let out a sigh, his gaze back on her auburn curls he pushed himself back on his feet, as much as he wanted to watch her he knew he couldn't._

" _Donna," his voice making her jump up, her fingers slipping over the record in her hands causing a shrill sound to echo through the room. Her gaze dropped to her hands before she slowly turned to face him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered and she could see his mouth drop a little as he noticed the record she had in her hands._

" _That's my Miles Davis," he took it from her hands, flipping it around as he studied the record he'd gotten from his father a few months back. "Harvey," she whispered, bending down to collect her shoes, her eyes meeting his again. "I'm –"_

" _Yeah," he sighed, looking away as he placed the record on his desk. "I want you out front," he continued then, his tone all business and she turned around to meet his gaze. A questioning look on her face. "I'm the only associate with a secretary," he continued, his eyes still directed on his desk, working with the papers. "I'd be nice if people could see I actually have a secretary."_

" _Fine," she mumbled, putting her shoes back on as she turned around, closing the door behind her she walked back to her cubicle. Her eyes drifting off to his office one more time before she focused on her work again._

 _._

* * *

.

She checked her purse on more time, smiling at him when she met his eyes again. "Ready?" he crooked his head signalling the door and she nodded walking out in front of him with a carry-on, making him follow with the larger piece of luggage. She followed him outside, handing of their luggage to Ray as he opened the door for her.

"Well this is different from last time," she teased him as he sat down next to her, his hand on her knee a smirk smile on his lips. "Last time I couldn't do this," he whispered as he gave her a quick kiss on her lips, making her laugh. She squeezed his knee, "that's not what I meant. Last time you called me a cab."

"Back then I was just a senior associate," he countered, "I might have had secretary, but Jessica sure as hell wouldn't let me have a driver too." She studied his face and she could see his was recalling a memory from years ago. "How come Jessica agreed to you having a secretary?"

"Because she knew I was an amazing lawyer back then," he teased her, his words making her bite her tongue. "Harv?" she whispered, not buying any of it. "Told her it was a package deal," he smiled, "that I wouldn't come back if I couldn't bring you," his hand covered hers. "We've always been a team."

She wondered if this was the full story, if Jessica really agreed just like that, but she figured it best to not push the subject. Not now that they were going on their first ever vacation as a couple, their first real vacation ever. All other trips were always work related, just like the first time they made this trip. "If we were a team," she linked her fingers with his, "why didn't we share a cab back then?"

He frowned, looking at her. "Honestly?" he mumbled and she nodded, "I was running late," he raised his shoulders a slim smile on his lips and she rolled her eyes. "Let me guess you had to get a girl out of your bed first, before you could leave," she raised her eyebrow, she knew how things used to be all those years ago.

""No," he shook his head, "I'd forgotten my passport," he looked down and she let out a laugh. "I knew you needed me, but didn't think it was that bad," she teased him and he wrapped his arm around her, "worse even."

.

* * *

.

 _She looked around the little bistro, her eyes falling on the man across the table from her again. Harvey. Her boss, her friend, her one time lover. Her boss, she reminded herself as her hand tapped against the table. "Why are we here Harvey?" she whispered, looking down again. Yesterday he'd been so stand offish for her scratching that record and now, now he'd insisted she'd join him for dinner._

" _You don't know which day it is?" he looked at her confused, surely if he remembered, she should know too, right? She was Donna after all. "It's August fifth," she smiled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Reminding herself once more that he was just her boss. Her eyes meeting his again as he pushed her glass towards her. She took it in her hand, before his fingers got too close and he mirrored her move. Raising his own glass, "to us. One year," he smirked, leaving out any mention of work._

" _And many more," she played along, her glass clinging against his before she took a sip of her red wine. Her eyes still locked with his as she looked up through her lashes. It wasn't on purpose, but she could see him swallow when her tongue removed a droplet from her lip. "So," she looked away, pretending being near him like this didn't have any effect on her at all, "why this restaurant? Last year it was just take out in your office."_

 _He studied her face, she did remember and he wanted to say something about how he heard her singing that song the other day. And not only that day, but over the past year. How he remembered her telling him on this drunken night in the D.A.'s office that her grandparents from her mother's side of the family are Italian. How she'd only been there once and that if he could he'd make that dream of going again come true._

" _It really is a shitty Thai restaurant, Donna," he commented just to see her roll her eyes at him again. One of those little things that secretly made him smile. "It isn't," she shot back staring him down. "It seemed fitting," he answered then, breaking their gaze. "Why?" she whispered._

" _I need to ask you something," he continued and she frowned, the way his fingers were fidgeting with his glass making her nervous. More nervous than usual, he's just her boss. She closed this chapter. "Okay," he sighed looking up again, "so there's this restauranteur that's trying to start a franchise here in the city and Jessica wants to sign him as a client."_

" _So?" she whispered, not really understanding. "Well, the thing is.. the guy is from Tuscany and Jessica somehow assumed I spoke Italian –"_

" _Assumed?" she interrupted him, her eyebrows raised as she noticed him looking away. "You flat out told her," she's shaking her head now, he didn't respond but she knew enough. "What do you need?"_

" _For you to come to the meeting with me?" his eyes met hers again, and she frowned a little. This was new, but under the circumstances understandable. "You need me to be there in the conference room, okay." He shook his head, giving her his puppy eyes this time. "Actually, I need you to go to Italy with me."_

" _You what?" she dropped her fork to the table. "I need you –" she raised her hand to stop him from talking, "yeah, yeah. I heard what you said, but how?"_

" _Well, Jessica," he looked at her, taking in the still confused look on her face, he decided to explain it in another way than he hoped he had to do. "I thought you'd be happy," he raised his shoulders, "you once told me you wanted to visit again?" She stared at him, swallowing as she wondered how he remembered that. "I am," she nodded, letting the idea sink in, "it's just- "_

" _Don't make me say it," he gave her his signature smirk, that sparkle back in his eyes but she crooked her head, challenging him. "Please," he begged and she looked down closing her eyes, biting her lip before she let out a sigh. "Fine, but you're buying me all the ice cream I want."_

 _._

* * *

 _._

"We need to find that little ice cream shop again," she whispered her head resting against his shoulder as his hand held hers. It's completely different from how they flew all those years ago. She stared out of the window as he closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. Being strapped in a chair so close next to her, his arm brushing past hers more than once was just too difficult. She'd sighed and turned around, he'd pretended to not hear her do so. "We should," he squeezed her hand, "but there are a lot of things we didn't do back then which we should do now."

.

* * *

.

" _Donna," he paced through her hotel room, his head hanging low as he waited for her response but she didn't. "Donna," he sighed again his hand slamming against her bathroom door, "Donna please.. just get out of the bathroom. I said I was sorry."_

" _You didn't," he could barely hear her voice over the sound of the running tab. "I am," he answered sitting down on the edge of the bed, his hands behind him he leaned back wards. His head tilted up he took in her room, which was pretty much the same as his. "I am sorry," he whispered more to himself now._

" _Really?" she shot back, the door opening in one force full swing, his head falling back down facing her. "Just look at this," she shot back her hands signalling the stain on her dress, "completely ruined." He swallowed his eyes drifting off to her long legs as she held a part of her skirt in her hands, sighing once more. "Stop grinning," she didn't even have to look at him to know he was, she learned that much in these past 18 months. "You dropped your chocolate ice cream on my dress."_

" _Not on purpose," he argued, but she gave him another death stare. "Fine, I'll get you a new one," he gave in his hands in the air. "Make it two," she countered, her words making him frown as he stared at her. His credit card already in his hand. "You didn't tell me we were going to a formal event," she smiled, taking the card from his hand, before she walked over to her door. Opening it she leaned against the object, "bye. Harvey."_

 _._

 _He let his hand run over his face, fixing his bow tie again as he rocked back and forth on his feet. Hand buried down in his pockets he looked to his left and right, wishing there would be some familiar face like at a normal firm event, but this wasn't like that. If only he could have a more than three word conversation with these people._

 _He turned around slowly then, a new glass of auburn liquid in his hand as he saw her walk up to him. His jaw dropping slightly as he took in her dress, the way her hair was bound together, hanging over one shoulder. Showing him the freckled skin of her neck he had kissed just over a year ago. The memories, albeit claimed to be put out of his mind, still fresh. "Is that for me?" she smiled, taking the glass from his hand before he could protest. "Sure," he sighed watching her down it in one go before he turned around, ordering another two glasses of scotch._

" _Here," he mumbled handing her another glass, his gaze dropping over her body once more as she walked out in front of him. "See you treated yourself on a pair of new shoes too?" he bit his tongue, wondering how the woman in front of him could have so much power over him. "What can I say," she smiled facing him again, holding his credit card and her key card in front of his face, "they deserved me."_

" _God woman," his fingers brushing past hers as he pulled the cards out of her hand. "It's Donna actually," she winked and he merely shook his head slowly as he observed the second card in his hand. "I didn't bring a purse," she clarified focussing on her drink again as he put both cards in the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket._

 _._

 _He watched her dance in the distance, in the arms of an older man, who's hand was resting a bit too low on her back in his opinion. His own hand clung around the glass tumbler, downing the content as her eyes met his in the distance once again. He saw her smile at him, the way that smile turned into a faint smile every time she turned around the dance floor not going unnoticed to him._

 _Placing his glass on a table behind him he walked himself over to the dancing pair. His hand tapping on the other man's shoulder he waited for the guy to let go of her. Catching her hand in his before she could walk away, he pulled her closer, his right hand warm against her back. "What's this?" she whispered looking away, "I thought you didn't dance."_

" _Only when wearing a tuxedo or a batman costume," his words making her giggle, thinking back to that one Halloween party over a year ago and how they'd danced. "Thank you," she whispered, her head resting on the arm on his shoulder, "for saving me from that guy."_

 _He closed his eyes for a second, his jaw clenching as he felt intoxicated by a scent he associated with her, vanilla. Most likely from her shampoo, her let out a breath he didn't know he was holding; it was the first time since the other time she was this close to him, in his arms. "Always, but I should thank you," he mumbled, letting his fingers trail over her skin, before he reminded himself he couldn't do that._

" _For what?" she whispered, feeling shivers running down her spine at his touch, her eyes closing as effect but she didn't tell him to stop. "For coming here with me, for.." he paused a second, ".. I don't know what you told that client this morning, but if it wasn't for you he'd never invite us back for another meeting."_

 _She felt her lips curl up as she thought back to earlier that day. "I told him we were late because you had a jetlag and –" he pulled his head back a little, his eyes meeting hers. "Why am I the one with a jet lag?" he frowned at her smile as she took another step back. "Do I look like I'm the one with a jet lag?" her hand pulling on her dress a little and he swallowed, looking at her. "Perfect," his whispered so softly she didn't hear it, pulling her back in his arms instead. Not ready to let go._

 _._

 _She held onto him, he held onto her or they held onto each other, the scotch and champagne clearly effecting them both. She stumbled past his arm again, leaning against the small part of the wall in between their hotel room doors. The smile on her face matching his, his hands buried in the pocket of his pants before he lifted his key card from it. Opening the door he saw her lingering around, his head crooked he studied her face. "Want to have another drink?"_

" _Harvey," she whispered her head lowering a bit because they shouldn't be having these kind of conversations. They shouldn't even be in these kind of situations, but there she was and so was he. "I promise I won't drop my drink over your dress," he smirked stepping aside holding the door open for her as she let out a sigh. Getting on her feet she mumbled a fine, walking past him._

" _So you did ruin my dress on purpose?" she looked at him over her shoulder, seeing him shake his head as he moved closer. "I decline to answer," he countered opening the mini bar on his room pouring both of them a drink. Their eyes locking from time to time as they shared their drinks in silence._

" _Key please?" she whispered as she placed the empty glass on the table next to her, he gave her one of those looks she'd seen over a year ago. "Harvey," she swallowed, her eyes closing for a second as she waited for him to hand her the key card._

" _Harvey just give it to me," she sighed, her hand held up in front of him as he searched his pockets. "Donna I don't have it," he rocked back and forth on his feet, his shoulders raised, showing her the empty pockets of his pants, her gaze only nearing in on him. She got out of her chair, stepping towards him, her hand moving over his torso, making him swallow. "What are you doing?" he mumbled, his eyes resting on her wrist as he tried to regulate his breathing. Her fingers reaching for something in the chest pocket of his dress shirt._

" _Here," she smiled pulling a card out of his pocket, his hand falling around hers. "That's mine," he smirked, "You're more than welcome to use it, but you're already in my room," he gloated pulling back his hand because her touch was just too much. "Harvey," she sighed once more, "where's my card then. I handed it to you with your credit card –"_

" _Yeah and then I put them in –" he paused as he studied her again, "where's my jacket?" he frowned taking in her bare shoulders, remembering how she had told him she was cold and he had given her his jacket. "Shit," she whispered her hands running over her own shoulders, her eyes meeting his in despair, "Harvey we need to go back to that café."_

" _Donna," he mumbled, his hand running over his face as he tried to piece together the last moments of them at the event and making it to the hotel, "I think that café is closed now." She pulled on her dress walking towards him, "but your credit card is in there too and –"_

" _Donna," he smiled looking at the way skin between her eyebrows wrinkled a little as she was deep in thought. "I'll take care of that tomorrow, why don't you stay here?" he extended his hand to the rest of his room. "Harvey," she whispered._

" _Donna," he repeated in the same tone, "the reception is closed, there's no way we're getting your card back tonight so unless you didn't lock the door separating our rooms from your side, there's no way to get in there."_

" _That's it," she exclaimed, her hand slapping his arm playfully as she turned around moving to his door separating their adjacent rooms, his smile slowly fading from his face as he walked up behind her. Opening the door on his side, his head near hers as he watched her reach for the door knob. He joked once more about how she could sleep here if she wanted to, something she brushed off as her eyes met his one last time, mumbling a "here goes nothing," as her hand fell around the doorknob._

 _His eyes closed, his jaw clenching as he heard that small click, the one indicating her door wasn't locked. He opened his eyes again, letting them trail down over her back before he met her eyes once more as she turned around stepping inside her room. "Goodnight, Harvey," she whispered with a faint smile, leaning against her frame slowly closing the door between them, a small smile on his lips the last thing she saw. "Goodnight, Donna," he whispered his head against the wall next to the door frame now, waiting a few seconds for something that wouldn't happen._

 _She couldn't help but keep holding onto that door handle, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, her eyes closing she reminded herself how reinforcing that rule little over a year ago was the right move as nothing happened._

 _._

* * *

.

She let herself lay down on the bed. Her head scanning the room around them, the walls a different colour, new furniture but the layout still the same. The room still the same. She smiled as she pushed herself back up, sitting on the edge of the bed as she saw him smiling at her. "What?" she whispered tip toeing towards him, her eyes landing on that door for a second before she wrapped her arms around his neck. Lifting herself on her toes, her nose brushed against his.

"Just thinking about us," he whispered giving her a quick kiss on her lips, before he turned her around, wrapping his arms around her waist. "About you," he whispered in her ear, his lips warm in her neck. "That dress," he mumbled, his hands slipping under her shirt running up and down her sides, "drove me insane."

"Good," she smiled, letting her hands run over his before she brought his right hand to the side of her baby bump feeling the baby kick again. Letting her head rest against his chest she could feel him smile against her skin as he placed a kiss on her shoulder. "I never locked the door back then," she whispered.

"Me neither," he sighed as he realised it had been one of those other moments they had wanted each other, but maybe everything was for the best. They now had everything. _Almost everything,_ he corrected his thought as his left hand reached for the lock. "Making sure it's locked now," he mumbled before he lifted her up and walking her over to their bed. "Looks like you'll be sleeping in my bed after all," he whispered as he lay down beside her. Her hand running up and down his torso, "Who says we'll be sleeping?"

.

She followed him outside, squeezing her eyes together as she was greeted by the bright sun. Almost making her forget it wasn't cold, but it was. Wrapping her coat around her body she saw him standing in front of a car just like he had done all those years ago. A big smile plastered across his face as he opened the door for her. He already knew she knew what the plan for the rest of the day was.

"This car better not break down, Specter," she turned to face him before she got in on the passenger seat. He pulled her beanie over her ears, his hands playing with her scarf he pulled her closer. His lips warm against hers. "If I remember correctly," he paused for a second just looking at her, "that was a pretty awesome day."

.

* * *

 _._

 _She swirled around, her hands playing with her white skirt that loosely fell around her frame. Her peach coloured toe nails clearly visible in her white wedge heels, she stepped outside the old building and onto the sunny streets of Florence. Squeezing her eyes together, before she shielded her face from the sun with her hand._

 _A smile appearing on her face as she saw him standing there, leaning against a car clad in grey suit pants, a crispy white shirt with rolled up sleeves, sunglasses hanging on his shirt as the two top buttons where opened. His hand extended to her, a card between his fingers. "I believe this is yours," he smirked._

 _He saw her smile, her pony tail swaying from left to right as she came to an halt in front of him. Mumbling a "Thank you," as she took the card from his hand, putting it in her purse this time. His thoughts were drawn to her auburn locks, wishing to feel it's texture against his fingertips like last evening. When they danced, but more._

 _He shook his head, trying to hide his smile and pushing away the thoughts as she reached for his wayfarer shades and putting them in her hair. He merely swallowed at the close proximity of her hand, his gaze lowering a bit, to her lips. Pulpy, red and forming a smile. If he had to describe them it would be inviting, an invitation he's only gotten once._

' _Because I don't get involved with the men that I work with,' he could still hear her say the words, his tongue absentmindedly traced his lower lip, only being able to come to the same conclusion as back then. That the 'sounds like a challenge,' was still on._

 _It had been since the second he laid eyes on her and he hadn't been able to stop looking at her since. It was on the moment he showed up on her place and even though she told him to put it out of his mind and never mention it again. He never really could forget._

 _He felt his lips curl up, mimicking hers and he crooked his head as he turned towards her a bit. His eyebrows raised, challenging her actions, but she gave him the same look. They're having a conversation without words being spoken. Some would say that's boring, that things need to be said with words. He saw it as them, as intimate. As a way of telling her things he doesn't dare to pronounce, but she knows. She's Donna._

 _He observed the way her arms are swinging along her body as she's waiting for him to step aside. The way the wind is playing with her grey shirt and white skirt, just as much as it's playing with her hair. The way her hands try to stop her skirt from pulling up. Her hands moving down her body she looked up again, meeting his gaze. Her own hand moving to her hair, but he's faster._

 _Bringing a strand of loose hair behind her ear, his fingers scraped her cheek for just a second, making her look down again. "Thanks," she whispered feeling a blush creep on her cheeks. He smiled, burying his hand in the pocket of his pants again as their eyes lock once more._

 _"So where are you taking me?" her head crooked, her smile turned into something more teasingly than before she stared him down. He swallowed giving in as he looked away. There's an ambiguity to her words and if she sees this as a game, he's more than willing to play._

 _"I'll take you to the edge," he smirked, his hand falling on the handle as he opened the door for her. She let out a laugh, shaking her head. Mumbling a 'well played, Specter' to herself as she turned around just before sitting down. Her hand falling next to his on the doorframe and she leaned towards him. "That would be one hell of a ride."_

 _She saw him swallow and she smirked, knowing she'd won, she let herself fall down on the passenger seat. Looking up at him as he closed her door, walking around the car his hand clenching as his eyes remained fixated on the back of her head._

 _He sat himself down on the driver's seat, turning the keys making the motor of the car he rented roar and he could feel her eyes burning his skin. She waited for him to throw back another line and he watched her from the rear view mirror for a second before he turned to face her. Leaning to his left, he nearly hovered above her. Her breathing became heavier now and she swallowed. "Harvey," she mumbled, not sure what was going on as she watched his left hand move closer to her face._

" _Protection," he smirked._

 _His words made her eyes pop, just for a second as she then realised his hand reached for the safety belt, before he handed it to her. His signature smirk plastered on his face and she smiled looking down accepting his victory, "you won."_

 _._

* * *

.

She looked out of the window, taking in the changing landscape before she faced him again. "You aren't lost are you?" she mumbled as she studied the little frown on his face while looked at the road ahead. "No," he countered his hand on her knee, squeezing it softly as a small sign of encouragement. "Harvey," she countered, turning a bit to face him. "This is that same road the car broke down on last time. If the car hadn't stopped running, where would we even have ended up?"

"You once told me your grandparents came from this small village North of Montecatini Terme and that you'd didn't get to visit it when you went to Italy after your graduation." She stared at him her mouth left agape as he gave her a smile. "I.." she stuttered, "I told you that back in the D.A.'s office, you.. you remember that? You.."

"Of course," he smiled bringing his hand back to the steering wheel, "I remember everything about you."

.

* * *

 _._

 _He looked at her every once in a while, a small smile plastered across his face as he heard her sing along to 'Fallin' by Alicia Keys playing on the radio. The way her head was leaning back against the chair, his sunglasses on her face. He knew he shouldn't, he shouldn't look at her like that, but they're not at the firm. They're not even at work. It's just him and her, four thousand miles from the place he called home, yet he hadn't felt home like this in a long time._

 _She slowly opened her eyes as she heard him hum along to the rhythm of the song now, his actions surprising her she missed the next line. The words just didn't leave her lips and she could see him swallow, looking at her from the corner of his eyes. She just closed hers again, tilting her head to the right pretending to be enjoying the view, suddenly realising the exact lines she had been singing._

 _Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding as the song on the radio was replaced by another one, and not long after that by a loud noise she couldn't quite recognize. "Donna," he mumbled, his hands frantically shifting gears lowering the speed of the car. She turned to face him, still feeling her cheeks burn from that slip up not long ago she pushed his sunglasses in her hair as the car came to a halt just besides the road._

" _What happened?"_

" _I don't know," he mumbled, his hand turning the key once more, "the car won't start," he sighed pushing the sun visor back up before he got out of the car, moving to the front he opened the hood. Jumping back as hot steam rose from the engine he let out a sigh, wondering what was wrong._

 _Donna got out of the car too, walking over to him she searched for her mobile phone. Extending her hand in the air, she let out a sign as there was no reception. "Is it bad?" she whispered looking up to him, swallowing as she noticed some droplets from the steam running down his face and he sighed, "we should wait until the engine is cooled down, before we can be sure."_

 _._

 _Harvey let his hand run over his face as he got back up, sitting on the tailgate of the car. His eyes drifting off to her yet again, how her legs rested on the door of the car. Breaking his gaze from her what he remembered to be ticklish toes he pushed himself off the car, walking back around it he leaned over the edge, his hands tapping against the door next to her head. Blocking the sun from her face he heard her groan and saw her open her eyes. "Harvey," she mumbled._

" _Engine's cooled down," he smiled, her hands pushing his head back, she got back up. Stepping over the car seats she followed him back to the front. She watched him open some parts, checking for something. "So what's wrong?" she stood beside him, looking at the engine, but no clue as to what could be the problem. "Water," he mumbled, his head tilted to the left a bit he looked at her. "Could you get me a bottle of water from the trunk?"_

 _She helped him refill the water after which she took place behind the steering wheel per his request, turning the key once more she tried to start the car, but it still didn't cooperate. A small pout on her lip she got back out of the car and he merely nodded as he looked back at the engine in front of him. He let out a sigh as he closed the hood again, wiping his hands on the towel she handed him he continued with opening the buttons of his dress shirt._

 _Her mouth dropped a little as button after button another inch of his muscled sun tanned torso was revealed. "What are you doing?" she swallowed, looking down at her own feet as he pulled the rest of his shirt out of his pants. Her hands clinging onto her dress as she cursed herself for feeling this way again. "Checking for leakage," he mumbled wiggling his shoulders out of the shirt, pushing the fabric in her hands he kneeled down in front on the car, turning on his back he crawled under the car._

 _A small gulp escaped her lips as her eyes were drawn to him another time, her eyes roaming the last inches of his exposed skin just above his trousers, she closed her eyes. Her teeth digging into her lip for a second as she pushed the images of whipped cream once covering that exact area out of her mind, his shirt pressed against her chest. Still being able to feel the warmth of his skin, she waited for him to get back up._

" _There's a tear in the hose," he mumbled pulling himself back on his feet, his hand running through his hair he shook his head. "Can't fix that here," he reached for the dirty towel, wiping his hands clean before he pulled his shirt out of her hands. Making her lift her gaze, her eyes locking with his once more as he pulled his arms through his sleeves. His hands trailing down the edge starting to button it again._

" _Wait," she whispered, slowly stepping forward to him her hand sliding against his sternum. His breath faltering, his chest instinctively moving into her touch, his eyes searching her face for an explanation. "Donna?" he breathed slowly, his gaze resting on her lips._

" _Nothing," she whispered, "you just.. got a little something here.." wiping away some grease from his collarbone before she pulled her hand back. The tension between them too much, her head low afraid to meet his gaze she took a step back leaning against the car._

 _._

* * *

.

"See, that's where the car broke down," he pointed at a curve ahead on the road of them. Her hand falling around his, she smiled. "Harvey, you're not going to make me walk those fields again," her words only caused him to laugh. "Harvey I'm serious, I'm pregnant and it's cold and –"

"This car won't break down, Donna. I promise," he smiled as they drove past the place they stranded over a decade ago. "Why are you smiling then?" she whispered, her eyebrows raised as she questioned his actions. She knew where they were going, but she never really liked not being in the loop on every single detail. "You played the 'I'm pregnant' – card," he brought her hand to his lip, kissing her knuckles, "and I was thinking about that walk," he whispered, "that was pretty awesome."

She let out a sigh, "Getting stung by a wasp is anything but awesome."

.

* * *

.

" _I think we should walk and look for help," he continued his hands fixing the rest of his buttons as he stepped out of her reach. "What?" she blurted out, turning around, "Harvey we're in the middle of nowhere," her hands resting on the car as she waited for him to return._

" _I know," he whispered, a small bag pack on his shoulders, her shoes in his other hand he raised them in front of her face. "And you said we don't have reception here," he added as she took the wedges from his hand. Putting them on one for one, finding support against the car instead of his arm. "Where do we go?" she wrapped her arms around her own body, it was a pointless question cause she'd follow him to the ends of the earth no matter what._

 _He paced around a bit, bringing his hand to cover his face as he looked over the small hedges along the road. "There's a .. I don't know farm or something over there," he pointed in the distance as she walked up to him, trying to see what he meant. "So we could either follow the road," he sighed as he looked in the distance as he saw it swirl through the landscape, "and hope it leads to there.. or we could climb over this railing and walk through this vine yard which is probably faster."_

 _._

 _He walked beside her, his hand ruffling through the leaves of the plants on his left, listening to the way she talked. The way her voice felt even warmer and her eyes seemed to sparkle as she addressed certain topics. They talked about everything and nothing in particular, both avoiding the topic of them like the plague, because they promised to never talk about it. To put it out of their minds._

 _His hands buried in the pockets of his pants he sauntered through the yard, his feet kicking a small twig every now and then as he noticed how her pace slowed down. "Do you want to take a break?" he raised his shoulders a small smile on his lips as he turned around, his hand falling on the wooden fence in front of them, before he opened it for her. "Harvey I'm fine," she whispered, her hand raised indicating them to continue, but he didn't._

" _Donna," he whispered, "it's been forty minutes, you're wearing those ridiculous heals and your ankle twitches every five steps," he closed the fence behind them. "Let's just take a break," he offered her a small smile as he leaned against the wooden object himself._

 _She looked down at her feet, realising he was right as she mumbled a soft, "Okay, I need something to drink anyway," leaning against the fence right next to him. A small sting making her jump back up again immediately as she let out a scream. Her hands reaching for her lower back as Harvey jumped up too, "What happened?"_

" _OMG," she blurted out again, "Aauw," he saw her fighting the tears. "Donna," his hands on her shoulders making her look at him, "what happened?" She shakenly looked over her shoulder, pulling up her shirt as he turned her around. His eyes landing on the small red bump on the right side of her lower back. "A wasp," he mumbled, his hand lingering in the air just in front of her hip._

" _Okay stay calm," he whispered, his hand now on her skin. She shivered under his touch, momentarily wondering what hurt more, "Harvey," she whispered looking at him over her shoulder, "what.. what are you –"_


	33. Chapter 33 - A Trip Down Memory Lane II

_**Hi everyone! Thank you for the reviews, LOVE THEM! So here's the other part of their vacation in Italy chapter. Special thanks to Cece for helping me translate a couple of sentences, LY! Hope you all enjoy it, and maybe leave a review? xx**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 33: A trip down memory lane part II**_

" _Doing?" she almost gasped as he kneeled down next to her, his lips landing on her porcelain skin. Her eyes closing, a current running through her body, if his hands had warmed her skin, his mouth had set her on fire. She immediately felt cold when he moved back, seeing him spit to the side. "Trying to remove the venom," he mumbled, letting his thumb run over his lip as he got back up on his feet, she swallowed not knowing where to look._

" _Did it work?" he asked as she remained silent. "Uhm," she muttered shaking her head briefly as she pulled her shirt down again, her own hand moving over the area he just touched, "yes… Uhm.. Thank you," she fumbled with the hem of her shirt, "how .. how did you know?"_

" _Was a boy scout when I was young," he lied a smile plastered on his lips as he searched his bag back. "No you weren't," she countered her hands on the other side of the carrier as he pulled out a bottle of red wine. "Wine?" she mumbled, "you brought along wine?" this movement making her forget to ask further on how he knew to do that. "Yeah," he handed her the bottle as he sat himself down in the green grass, motioning for her to do the same. "There are no wasps," he smiled, "I checked."_

 _She let out a small laugh, her hand reaching for her lower back once more as she sat herself down next to him. "So, why did you bring wine?" she pushed him again as she studied their can opener in her hand, thinking back to the explanation he'd given her the day before for bringing that object along. 'For good luck.'_

" _Present for uhm..," he whispered closing his eyes for a second, "Nah.. doesn't matter. We won't get there now anyway," he mumbled opening the bottle with a loud blob. "I didn't bring glasses though," he grinned, handing her the bottle first. "We'll survive," she smiled taking a sip from the bottle before she gave it back to him. Her eyes closing as she enjoyed the summer sun, "I wish we had something to eat with this."_

" _Harvey," he heard her whisper after a couple of minutes of comfortable silence between them. He crooked his head to look at her, humming to let her know she should continue with whatever it was she wanted to say. "About the uhm.. and you," she looked away, her hands falling in her lap, "can we pretend –"_

" _Sure," he whispered in a sigh as he pushed himself on his feet, "I'll add it to the list," he added softly as he walked off a bit. "What?" she called after him, leaning on her hands she studied his face. "Nothing, Donna," he countered, looking at the ground, "I'm just going to... " but he didn't finish his sentence._

 _She let out a sigh, shaking her head from left to right, "Good move, Donna," she whispered to herself as she watched him move further down the vine yard. She put on her shoes, placing the closed bottle back in the bag pack, before she ran after him, following his footsteps._

" _Harvey, wait."_

 _Her voice made him come to a halt, turning around a frown on his face as he took in her worried look. "I was coming back, Donna," he offered, now giving her a small smile as she still looked at him confused. He leaned to the left, his hand removing a bunch of grapes from one of the plants. Letting it dangle in front of her face, "I was looking for some food," he explained, his lips pressed together in a small smile._

" _That's someone's hard work, Harvey you can't," she countered trying to stop him, but he continued grabbing even more grapes. "You said you were hungry," he pulled a grape from the bunch and ate it, "they can arrest me if they want to," he raised his shoulder showing her he really didn't care about the consequences. She looked down trying to hide her smile as he took the bag from her shoulders, making her give in and eat a grape herself._

 _._

 _They walked side by side again, exchanging the bottle between them as they talked once more about things that didn't really matter. The list of topics to avoid slowly increasing as they continued pretending nothing had happened between them._

" _That makes absolutely no sense," she giggled as she looked up at him, the combination of wine, sun and a lack of food now clearly affecting her. And him. "Of course it does," he countered with a loud laugh as he offered her the final sip from the bottle._

" _You're weird," she countered shaking her head and pushing the bottle back to him. "Just like you," he mumbled downing the remaining wine, before he placed the empty bottle in the bag again, swinging the object around his shoulder he looked up, feeling a droplet his nose. "What's that?"_

" _It's raining," she still laughed as she threw her head back too. Her eyes closing as she let the small refreshing droplets hit her face. "Shit it's raining," she exclaimed then looking at him and he merely nodded as both of them started running the final couple of hundred meters through the yard as they could see the old brick building getting closer and closer._

 _Their pace only increasing as the rain started falling faster and faster, he looked to his right from time to time but she still smiled. She looked at him every now and then, their hands lingering close to the other in the small space between them, but neither reached for the other._

 _The muddy ground of the yard soon replaced by small pebbles and larger stones, they ran over a part of the lawn towards the overhang of the building called Pratt's Hotel. "We made it," he mumbled, trying to catch his breath as his hand circled around one of the columns making his pace slow down instantly._

" _We did," she breathed as her body crushed into his by his abrupt halt. His hands fell around her hips, her hands flat against his chest, her fingers slowly pulling on the drenched fabric of his shirt that was sticking to his skin._

 _Both of them breathing in sync, neither of them moved back, his gaze landed on her mouth. "Donna," her name leaving his lips in a soft tone, she slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. Her fingers tapped his chest, her top lip brushed over his bottom and her eyes locked with his._

" _Posso aiutarvi?"_

 _The voice of an older man broke their moment, her eyes closed briefly as she took two steps back. Her breath faltered and her hands fell back to her own body , she suddenly felt that same chill take over her body as under an hour ago._

" _Posso aiutarvi?" the older man asked again as she looked up to him. "Uhm.." she mumbled, "La nostra macchina si è rotta. Potremmo usare il suo telefono?"_

" _Certo, prego, entrate," he stepped aside signalling for the two of them to get inside, before he turned around. "Da dove venite?"_

" _Grazie," she smiled signalling Harvey to follow her as she told him how she asked if they could use their phone. "Grazie," he mumbled too, his eyes directed to the ground as he could still feel the older man's gaze going from him to the redhead next to him. "Siamo Americani," she continued, "Veniamo da New York."_

" _Aah," the man smiled as he paced around still looking at the two in front of them,"Americani. Come mai lui è così silenzioso?"_

" _Non parla Italiano", she raised her shoulders, giving Harvey a small smile as he frowned. "I said you don't speak Italian," making him sigh. "Solo un pochino." he countered, this time making Donna frown as she looked at him again. "What?" he mumbled and she just shook her head. "Nothing. "_

" _Capisco." the man nodded, "Per fortuna mia moglie parla Inglese. Cecelia!" he called for her._

" _Grazie," Donna nodded once more, letting her hands run over her soaked skirt, she pulled the grey shirt that was clinging to her body. A shiver running down her arms as she felt cold droplets hit her skin. "O Mio Dio," the woman exclaimed as she saw the two soaking wet people standing in her hallway. She walked towards them, signalling to her husband to go make them something warm to drink._

" _What happened?" Cecelia asked walking both of them to the kitchen of her bed and breakfast. "Our car broke down," Harvey answered, his eyes lingering on Donna for a second before both of them excepted a towel and a cup of cappuccino from the woman. "Somewhere down the road, we had no cell phone reception," Donna added as she glanced up to Harvey and back to the woman, who gave them an understanding smile._

" _The two of you walked here then?" she frowned, taking in the two people in front of her. The way their bodies were directed away from the other, but how they glanced at the other every once in a while. The way they wore matching clothes, similar and in sync movements, the look her husband had given her. The way they spoke, about themselves. Always in plural. "Yes," Donna nodded warming her hands around the cup, "we uhm.. we walked through the yards."_

" _Is it okay for us to use your phone? Get someone to fix our car?" Harvey asked placing the empty cup on the counter as he wrapped the towel further around his shoulders. "Oh boy," she sighed shaking her head, "there's no one here to help you… not uhm.. not before the storm," she raised her hands in the air, "now uhm.. you two," she nodded at them both, "you are welcome to stay here."_

" _Ooh," Donna beamed looking at Harvey for a second before she smiled at the woman again, "wow… that uhm would be.. . Grazie Mille." The woman pressed her lips together, her eyes roaming back and forth between them yet again, "It's uhm just… are you... how do you say it.. Voi siete sposati?"_

 _Donna's mouth dropped a little, unsure of what to say she stuttered. "There's only one room available," the older woman raised her shoulders, her index finger tapping against the ring finger of her other hand as she stared at them both, Donna still unable to answer. Harvey knew little of the language, but he could put this together, his eyes meeting Donna's briefly, swallowing before he nodded at the woman._

" _Together?" the woman smiled, "wonderful," she continued as she turned around reaching for the key as she signalled the pair to follow her to the room on the top floor._

 _._

 _She smiled at the woman, thanking her for offering to dry their clothes, before she closed the door behind her. Pacing through the room she stared him down. "Harvey what the hell," her arms crossed in front of her chest as she walked up to him._

" _Donna," he sighed his hand thrown up in the air, "you heard the woman. We're in the middle of nowhere and she offered us a place to stay." She pressed her jaws together, her brows turned into a frown. "I know.. but married, Harvey. Really?"_

" _Geez, Donna," he mumbled. "It's just pretending. Next time, I'll let you pretend to be my wife," he gave her his signature smirk as he waited for her come back. "And what if I don't want to do that?" she challenged him, scrambling some towels from the cabinets as she walked up beside him. "Maybe next time we don't have to pretend," he countered his face in a neutral expression._

 _She bit her tongue, not wanting to smile or even respond to this. "I'm going to take a shower, get myself warmed up," she countered tapping her rolled up towel against his head as she opened the door to the ensuite behind him. "Do you need help from your husband with that?" he countered, looking at her from over his shoulder. "In your dreams, Specter," she rolled her eyes, closing the door behind her._

" _Yeah," he sighed, his head hanging low, "in my dreams."_

 _._

 _He paced through the room, one of the plaids the woman had given them wrapped around his lower body he collected his drenched clothes, picking the ones Donna had placed outside of the bathroom too. A small smile creeping up on his lips as he heard her singing under the shower. About to walk downstairs again, his hands filled with two sets of clothing he found the woman outside of their room._

" _Ooh," he mumbled as she gave him a smile. "These?" she pointed at the clothes, taking them from his hands as she handed him a cotton tartan pyjama. "I'm sorry.. I only have one pair," she apologized, a small nod in his direction before she turned around on the landing, before she moved down stairs again._

 _Harvey let out a sigh, his hand moving over the plaid fabric, as he turned back to bed in the middle of the room. Letting the shirt lay there for Donna he put on the pants, which were slightly too large for his frame. His hands still tying the knot around his waist he heard the door to the bathroom open again. Automatically lifting his head he took in her bare legs, her body wrapped in a large white towel and her wet auburn manes hanging loosely over her shoulders. "Hey," he mumbled._

 _She instinctively took a step back, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she took in his figure. Her eyes immediately roaming his body, she looked away. "Hey," she whispered, her left hand holding onto the towel tightly._

" _The uhm.. " he paused looking away, "the nice lady is drying our clothes and she brought this," he handed her the other half of the pyjama. She nodded taking it from his hand before she turned around again, closing the door behind her, she let her head fall against the object. Her eyes closed she wondered if she'd be able to survive the rest of the day._

 _She pushed herself back on her feet, letting the towel drop she stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Her skin still glowing from all the summer sun, she let out a small sigh. Turning to her side, her left hand moving down her waist and over the small red area on her skin just above her panty line, it looked like a hickey now. "Harvey," she whispered rolling her eyes, at least it didn't hurt anymore._

 _She unfolded the pyjama shirt, slowly letting her arms slip through the sleeves as she put the piece of clothing on her body. Closing most of the buttons, she rolled up the sleeves. Her hands moving to her hair, she bound the ginger locks together in a lazy bun._

 _Leaning against the doorframe as she watched him resting on the bed. His arms folded under his head, his chest slowly moving up and down with every breath he took. "What now?" she whispered, her eyes meeting his as he turned his head towards her. She pretended not to see him swallow, she pretended it didn't take him more than a few seconds to answer and first and foremost she pretended not to be affected by any of this._

" _Let's see if we can get something to eat," he mumbled pushing himself back up as he ignored the way her eyes were still directed towards him, because that's what she told him over a year ago. And earlier this afternoon. His eyes focussed on the floor he opened the door, waiting for her to walk out in front of him._

 _His hand trailed down the railing, as he stayed a constant three steps behind her. Giving her, or more himself some space from whatever it was this trip did to the two of them. Consciously telling himself to look in any direction but her, because that had been his default for the last eighteen months, he eyed the crowed room of the restaurant they'd entered just under an hour ago. Each table filled with couples and young families, his gaze landed on a young father with a four year old boy._

 _The sight made him swallow, even though he couldn't place why it had that effect on him he turned around, finding himself next to her again. His eyes closed he tried to ignore how her speaking in a foreign language made her voice a thousand times more sexy and he had found it distracting before. He bit his lip, his head tilted to the left as he eyed the piano next to them._

 _The way her hand moved over the top, the way she seemed to be focussing on a distant memory not going unnoticed to him, he sat himself down on the small bench in front of it. His actions causing her to glare, before she did the same, but her legs on the other side making her back face the piano._

 _She smiled as the older woman gave both of them another plaid, one resting over her legs she lifted her hand to help him wrap it around his shoulders, but didn't as she noticed how his body tensed at the pure raising of her hand. She faked a smile, looking down at her hands folded on her lap._

 _His fingers pressed some keys, one after the other as he tried to remember the chords. He noticed how she turned to face him. "My dad," he mumbled, not even looking up as his hands moved to the right over the keys. She smiled, watching him play she thought about how it was one of those things she loved so much but lost. One of those things that formed her to the women she was today, but she never shared with him._

 _She didn't know why she did it, but the words just flowed out of her as if with every key he hit he made her sing more. He looked to his side to her, not even surprised she knew the song. He knew she had this special bond with his father. Ever since the first time he brought her home and he smiled at the thought of how comfortable she was with his family._

" _Did he teach you?" she whispered as he neared the end of the song and he nodded. "Yeah when I was a kid I wanted nothing more than to play with him in his band," he closed his eyes as he hit the final key. "It's the only song I know to play, though. I wasn't patient enough," he laughed, "guess some things never change."_

" _It might," she whispered, looking away again. "What do you mean?" he let his hands run over his legs, his head hanging low he only eyed the piano. "One day," she whispered, "you'll find something worth waiting for and being patient will be the most natural thing in the world."_

 _._

* * *

.

The car pulled up next to the building, a smile plastered on her face as he helped her get out of the car. She looked around, wrapping her arm around her chest, pushing her scarf against her chin. "It looks exactly the same," she whispered, her head resting against his arm, their intertwined hands buried in the pocket of his coat. "It does," he smiled, looking up as he felt a freezing droplet hit his skin.

"It's snowing," she beamed as he turned to face her. Slowly lowering his head he looked her in her eyes, a smile across his lips, his right hand moving over her arm to her face. His finger lifting her chin, "I love you," he whispered kissing her. The warmth of her lips on his and just being near her making him forget about the cold.

She kept her eyes closed, her head leaning against his chest, her hand clinging onto his coat. "We're not standing under the porch, Harvey," she teased him and he let out a small laugh. "We didn't kiss last time," he smirked, before his lips found hers again.

.

She removed her beanie from her auburn locks, her right hand still holding onto his as they waited in the reception. Both of them looking around, the place exactly the same as they remembered it to be. From the layout, the colours of the walls, the paintings to the two people running the place. "Buongiorno," the fifty seven year old man greeted them. His green eyes and smile just as inviting as the last time they saw them.

"Christopher," Donna chirped as she stepped forward, extending her hand, but the older man now recognizing the couple in front of them, pulled her in for a hug. "Donna," he gave her two kisses on her cheek.

"Specter," the man continued as he let Donna go, shaking the lawyers hand as he signalled both of them to come further. The man's actions made Harvey frown, he looked at Donna, searching her face for an explanation, cause yes he made a reservation at the little hotel but for the owner to welcome them like that. "You.. you kept in contact with them," he mumbled, shaking his head, "it doesn't even surprise me," he laughed as he watched the man's wife walk towards them.

Cecelia greeted them enthusiastically, gave Donna an extra hug as she noticed how the redhead coat bulged a little around her stomach, followed with heartfelt congratulations she guided the two towards her kitchen. Handing Harvey a cappuccino an Donna a cup of tea as she asked them about their visit.

.

His fingers played with the keys to their room, his right arm wrapped around her shoulders they thanked the woman once again as they walked out of the kitchen and through the restaurant. Her hand tracing the edge of the piano that was still there he looked at her as she smiled. That same look on her face he'd seen all those years ago when he figured she was recalling a distant memory. He kissed the top of her head, happy he finally knew what that was, even if she didn't tell him herself. He could only hope she would have the same expression on her face when he showed her his surprise as she did now.

His gaze lifted from her head to the wall behind the piano, his mouth dropping a little as he found himself face to face with a picture of them from all those years ago. "Look," he tapped her shoulder before he pointed at the small wooden frame. She followed the direction of his hand, a laugh escaping her lips as she saw them sitting on the same bench they were standing in front of now. Both wearing on half of the pyjama.

She saw herself smile, her eyes directed on him and she saw a look on his face she now knew all too well, but had never dared to recognize or accept was there. He loved her, he'd always loved her.

.

* * *

 _._

 _She turned around on her side, her legs entangled with the sheet, her eyes still closed she let out a small sigh. Opening her eyes she took in the empty spot next to her, not that he was supposed to sleep there but something inside her ached. Just like a year ago. She slowly and quietly lifted herself up, her eyes adjusting to the dark room she turned her head to face the couch._

 _Only to find it empty as well._

 _She crawled out of bed, tiptoeing to the couch, her hand moving over the plaid that still felt warm. That's when she felt a breeze hit her bare legs, she looked to her left. Now noticing how the door to the roof terrace was opened. Her hand holding onto the blanket she dragged it with her as she sauntered through the room._

 _Stepping outside, his name on the tip of her tongue she swallowed as she saw him sitting there. His legs pulled up his arms folded on top of his knees, his hear resting on those again. Looking into the starry sky. The sight making her freeze on the spot, she'd never seen him like this. So human almost._

" _I know you're there," he whispered, directing his eyes to the sky again._

 _She bit her lip, rocking back and forth on her feet until she finally walked towards him. Without a word she sat herself down next to him, the plaid landing on the roof behind them. She mirrored his position, wrapping her arms around her legs, she stared at the stars. "It's beautiful."_

 _She gasped, softly tapping his arm as she pointed at a star shooting through the pitch black sky. He didn't follow her arm, he just saw how she closed her eyes and smiled softly, his gaze back on the landscape around them before she opened her eyes. "What did you wish?"_

" _It won't come true if I say it out loud," she whispered, letting her chin rest on her arms again, looking at her own toes. "Do you believe that?" he countered, curious because he'd never seen her do something like this or comment like that. "Not really, but it doesn't hurt trying," she sighed, "did you?"_

" _Did I what?"_

" _Make a wish," she let her hand run over her knee. "No," he answered, "it wouldn't make a difference if I did." She swallowed at the sadness in his voice, "why wouldn't it?"_

" _I don't believe my dreams will come true."_

 _She pressed her lips together, her head turning to look at him, but he was still staring in the distance.  
"I thought you didn't have dreams, only goals," she used the words he once told her, hoping to lighten the mood. _

" _I do have dreams, Donna."_

 _She heard him sigh, it was the smallest gesture but she knew enough. He didn't want her to push the subject. She let her head rest on her arms again as she watched him lay down on the roof. "You couldn't sleep either?" he mumbled, now vocally changing the subject._

" _No," she agreed, "it's a bit weird," she whispered more to herself than to him. Her hands running over her legs until she hold onto her own feet, massaging them briefly before she lay herself down next to him. Her eyes directed at the sky, she didn't know why she said it, but she had to get it out. "It's just.. I've never shared a room with my boss before."_

 _She could hear his breathing become heavier for a few seconds, but he didn't speak. She also knew that that was because she had asked him that. "We didn't work together," she whispered, making sure her voice remained the same as before._

" _I have never shared a room with my boss either," he countered as he noticed how she fell silent, but he wasn't supposed to comment on what she just mentioned. He promised that and as hard as it was, he intended to keep that promise._

" _No?" she shot back, a hit of sarcasm clear in her voice and he laughed. "Why on earth would I ever share a room with Hardman or Cameron?" he shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away, "god no." She rolled her eyes at the way he reacted at his own words. "I meant Jessica."_

" _Jessica," he repeated with a laugh, "Ooh no. She uhm.. Well you know she helped me through Harvard," he sighed closing his eyes. "She.. She's like a mother to me."_

 _Donna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she briefly looked in his direction, her fingers fumbling with the edge of the cotton shirt. "What happened to your mother?" she whispered, "you never talk about her." She could hear him sigh loudly, already knowing there must have been a reason for him to never mention her. She swallowed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have –"_

" _I caught her cheating on my dad," he whispered, "not just once."_

" _Harvey," she tilted her head to look at him, her hand covering his for just a second. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Me too," he answered, his hand clenching as soon as she pulled her hand back again, "I believed her when she said she wouldn't do it again, but she did. And I.. I couldn't not tell him. I was the one who ruined the family…" he swallowed, "I told my dad what she did... in the worst possible way there is. I made her leave the house and I left... I left them behind. My dad miserable, my brother alone.."_

" _It's not your fault," she whispered both of them remaining silent, and even though she couldn't see it in the dark, she knew he shook his head. Disagreeing with her words. "Thank you for telling me."_

" _I never told anyone everything."_

" _I know," she closed her eyes thinking about her own family. How she was in some way just as closed off as him. How there were sides of her she never told anyone, because she always had to be the one to keep a brave face. The one to act that everything was okay, even when it wasn't. She swallowed, biting her lip before she was able to pronounce the words. "My mom wants me to meet her new boyfriend."_

 _._

* * *

.

She opened the curtains a bit further, pulling the sleeve of her sweater over her hand she removed a bit of damp from the glass. Her head leaned against the frame as she stared out of the window, the spot they once sat, the hills behind them and the dark sky above them.

He walked up to her, his arms slipping around her waist, his lips in the crook of her neck as he hugged her from behind. His hand moving over her baby bump making her smile, it was his way of greeting their baby boy.

"Look," she whispered as tapped her hand against the window, spotting a shooting star just like all those years ago. "You should make a wish," he kissed her jaw as he already saw her closing her eyes. Something she always did if she saw a shooting star, if she had to blow out a candle and even if she saw it was eleven past eleven on the clock.

"Did you make a wish?" she whispered slowly opening her eyes as he kissed her temple. "No," he whispered, turning her around in his arms. "I don't have to. My dreams already came true, Donna," his hand moving over her cheek, his thumb playing with her earlobe as she smiled at him. "All your dreams?"

"Almost all," he mumbled against her lips, "but I know they will, all I have to do is be patient."

.

They walked side by side over the parking lot in front of the church and she took in the surroundings of the little town. She didn't know exactly where her grandmother had lived, which house that is, but she knew it was this little town and just walking around was special enough for her.

She spotted the sign on her left a small laugh escaping her lips as she noticed how he kept walking towards the corresponding buildings. "You're not taking me to the Pinocchio park are you?" she teased him, her elbow poking his side as he hooked his arm around hers. "What?" he frowned his hand moving some strands of hair out of her face.

"Don't lie to me, or your nose will grow," she closed her eyes already expecting his comeback when the words left her lips. He pulled her closer, his lips near her ear, "there's only one part of me that grows when I'm near you, and it isn't my nose."

"You're impossible," she laughed, her hands tapping his chest as they continued walking down the street, and along the yellowish plastered building on the right. "Actually," he continued, his hand wrapping around hers, "I wanted to show you this," he signalled to the garden on his right. Her mouth dropping a little as they entered through the gates, she took in the hedges, the fountains and in the back behind the flowers the stairs with the marble sculptures.

"Harvey," she mumbled, "this is beautiful."

He gave her his signature smirk, proud at himself for convincing the owners to let them visit off season, he guided her through the gardens and towards the nearby castle carrying the same name as he told her about the history of the place; the legend of the lovers maze and more and she just listened in awe.

.

Donna snuggled up against him, for as much the chairs in their plane let her. His hand running through her hair he held her close. "Was it what you imagined it would be?" She let her fingers run over his, "I didn't really know what to expect, but I had a great time. Just you and me, perfect."

"Me too," he smiled, "I got you something."

She moved out of his embrace, her eyebrows raised as she looked at him. She couldn't even remember him leaving her side for a moment, but he just smirked as he reached for a paper bag from one of the cabinets above their head.

"Here," he smiled as he handed her the bag. She took it from his hands, observing the store logo but she couldn't quite place it. "Well go on," he pushed her as he sat back down next to her, as she nodded, her hands lifting a piece of clothing from the back. She unfolded it on her lap, her eyes tearing up as she took in the dark grey romper with blue sleeves and a white embroidered cactus on the chest.

"It's beautiful," she sobbed letting her head rest against his chest, her hand wiping away the tears as she looked at the little piece of clothing again. "I can't believe you've bought more for the baby than I have."

"But you've done something far more important," he wiped away a tear from her face, his hand catching hers as he placed it on her stomach, "keeping this little one happy and safe."

.

* * *

 _._

 _He saw her looking out of the small window, the sunlight hitting her frame making her auburn locks seem even more vibrant. He swallowed and looked away, his eyes closing as he reminded himself of her rule once more and how he agreed because having her in his life was the most important thing of all. Even if that was just as his secretary._

 _Just like on their way to Italy he pretended to be asleep, the conversation they had the night before and all the moments shared between them these past three days still on repeat in his mind. Wondering why he opened up to her and at the same time it didn't feel weird at all, but maybe that was the problem. Maybe for things to be easier, for him to be less distracted by her he should keep his distance._

 _Forget about that challenge he once set himself, forget that the first thing that came up in his mind when she told him about that rule was to fire her. Stop thinking about how she made him feel, or the look she gave him. Stop remembering what her lips taste like, but most of all he had to remind himself of that mental note he took over a year ago: stop caring for her._

 _._

 _She folded her hands in her lap, her eyes closing for a second as she heard the door of the cab fall shut. She looked out of the window for a second, seeing him walk off neither of them having said goodbye. She swallowed, letting her head rest against the window as she told the driver her address._

 _She closed her eyes, going over every little moment they shared across the ocean and she could only come to one conclusion. That as much as she had told herself there was nothing going on, that she had closed that chapter and expected how things were, she couldn't deny how his smile made her knees turn weak, how his touch set her on flames and how his voice was the only thing she could listen to for the rest of her life if he let her._

 _She still had feelings for him._

 _Feelings she couldn't allow herself to have, because having those feelings would mean getting her heart broken again as she would see him wearing one of those loud ties in just a couple of days and he had just too many of those damn ties. Eighteen, she still remembered the number._

" _That's why you don't get involved with men that you work with, Donna," she whispered to herself, a single tear running over her cheek as she made the final decision to try again. Try to forget about the man she spends most of her time with, try to forget what she once wanted but didn't dare to admit to herself._

 _Telling herself to forget she felt anything for him at all._

 _Telling herself feelings will go away._

 _Eventually._

 _._

* * *

.

He opened the door to his condo, letting her enter first as he followed with the suitcases. Quietly placing them down in the hallway he observed as she slowly walked towards the living room. Not wanting to spoil the surprise he remained silent as he walked up to her.

His hand catching hers, he continued walking to the dining room table. "Harvey?" she questioned him as she stopped walking, but he just shook his head, signalling with his hand that she should follow him. She shook her head, biting her tongue as she followed him, passing him again as she turned around the fire place.

Her mouth dropped instantly, she was lost for words as she turned to face him again. "It's yours," he answered with a big smile on his face as he pulled the black leather bench to the front, sitting himself down on it. His left hand opening the lid to the ebony and ivory keys, he pointed at the three tiny letters that were engraved in the corner.

 _D.R.P._

"H.. Har.." she stuttered, her hand still covering her mouth as she sat down beside him, "how?" she whispered looking at him in awe. "You're father gave me the details and I tracked down the previous owner," he smiled, "had it restored and make sure it would be here when we came back."

She gave him a smile, still lost for words and it made Harvey smile, because she was never so quiet. "Donna," he whispered his fingers moving over her knuckles, "I didn't get your piano just because I wanted to surprise you," he paused looking at her again, "but I.. I uhm.. You said to me you wanted us to be together because of us, just you and me and that you wanted to take things one step at a time."

"And I told you I'd do whatever you would want, because I am in this. I know I joked about how there was only one thing left to do for us back then, after we'd just spend a week together, but truth is those few days without you I missed you and I never want to miss you again," he paused giving her a smile, "so I was wondering if you were willing to take that next step with me. Donna, will you move in with me?"

She smiled at his words, a small tear running down her cheek. "Of course," she whispered wrapping her arms around his neck. She gave him a quick kiss before she let out a small laugh. "What?" he mumbled as he pulled back. She shook her head as she realized he hadn't even noticed or dared to notice it.

"I kind of already did," she whispered, "we haven't been at my place in six weeks."


	34. Chapter 34 - Rumours

**Hi everyone. THANK YOU for all the reviews on the previous chapters, I'm glad you all loved the flashback parts. I really love writing those, and I'm always hoping for flashback episodes. So I've been thinking about a view things for the rest of this story and I kind of wanted to wave in a new story line that's of course linked to the original topic of this fic.. And I've been putting off posting, because I'm not 100% sure how or where it will lead, but decided to post anyway and just go with it. So I really hope you'll like it and let's hope I'll update sooner this time (I do hope you enjoyed Triggers and the #Darveyweek fics in the mean time).. As always, love to know what you thought. x**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Rumours**

He turned around and lay on his back, one eye opening as that movement went surprisingly easier than usual. Slowly stretching his left arm he found the spot next to him still warm but abandoned non the less. "Don.." his morning, or rather middle of the night voice, husky as he now opened both eyes.

He lifted himself up, his head automatically turning to the right he noticed some light coming from the living room. Pushing the duvet aside, he let out a groan as he got out of the bed, his hand rubbing his eyes and through his hair as he fixed his boxers with his other hand.

A small laugh escaped his lips as he saw her sitting there, on the kitchen floor. Her back against the oven, a bowl in her hand and the door of the fridge opened as the only source of light in the room. The sound of soft sobs coming from her direction making his heart ache and he tiptoed towards her. "What are you doing?"

She looked up at him, a sad look on her face. "I was hungry," she dropped her shoulders letting out a deep sigh before she took another spoon from her bowl, "and I wanted ice cream and captain crunch and pickles and it tastes horrible," she stated lifting another spoon to her mouth.

He bit his lip, shaking his head as all he could think was how adorable she looked at the moment. Wearing his Harvard shirt, her auburn locks more vibrant than he's ever seen before. "Why didn't you get something else then?" he asked taking the final three steps towards her. She let out another sigh, "I couldn't get back up."

He opened the door of the freezer, reaching for a can of Chunky Monkey and a spoon he sat himself down next to her. "Here," he whispered handing her the ice cream he knew she liked as he took the bowl from her hand. He saw her eyes closing and her lips curling up in a big smile as she took a bite. Her reaction making him smile he focussed on the bowl she had been eating previously. "Ooh this is disgusting," he cringed after he swallowed the first spoonful. Placing the bowl aside he looked at her again. "Donna," he whispered, digging his spoon in her ice cream, "why didn't you just call for me?"

She looked up to him, her eyes locking with his for a moment. "I didn't want to wake you." He shook his head again, leaning towards her he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "That's what I'm for," he mumbled taking another bite from her ice cream. "But now you're eating my ice cream," she whispered giving him a pout and he let out a laugh. "Just the banana parts."

.

She held the files in her arms close to her body. A pen still in her mouth as she looked up at the numbers of the elevator as the metal box climbed floor after floor. Hearing some persons whispering she briefly looked over her shoulder to the associates that stopped talking immediately when they saw her turn around.

She turned her head back, removing the pen from her mouth she looked down. Swallowing she tried to ignore the two young girls behind her. But the laugh that escaped both their lips when they got out on the forty fourth floor broke her.

Her eyes falling shut, she bit her lip to fight the tears that started to well in her eyes. Bringing her shaking hand to cover her mouth, she cursed herself for being so emotional now. She was Donna Paulsen after all, but right now she felt anything but her confident self.

She let out a sigh, quickly wiping away the tears, she stepped out of the elevator on the fiftieth floor. A fake smile plastered on her lips she strutted through the familiar hallways towards his office. Her mood immediately being lifted as she saw him. Leaning against the window sill, his legs crossed at the ankles on the floor and some files in his hands he didn't even seem to look at them.

"Hey," he whispered as she entered the office, walking towards him instead of placing the folder on his desk as usual. He placed his own folders aside, uncrossing his legs as he let his hands lean on the wood behind him. "Hey," she whispered, handing him the folders as she stepped in between his legs. Discarding these files too, he brought his arms around her waist, letting his hands rest dangerously low on her back, he looked up at her, his grin only growing.

"What are you smiling about?" she whispered letting her hands run up over his vest till she reached the collar of his dress shirt. Fixing his tie, before she let her fingers run over his neck and jaw, till she finally fixed his hair too. "You," he smiled, squeezing her butt making her step even closer.

Her baby bump pressing against his stomach, he let his hands move over her sides to her belly, his thumb moving up and down over her stomach. His way of greeting their little one. "Your hair is mess," she teased him, bringing it back in to shape. "I didn't do anything with my hair," he countered.

"Exactly," she laughed, her fingers in the back of his neck as he looked up at her with that signature smirk on his face. "So technically it's your fault," he teased her, making her sit on his leg as he held her in his arms. Just looking at her, he studied her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she whispered, the tone she used not even convincing herself, he let his hand run over her back. "Donna," he moved the thumb of his right hand over her cheek, "what happened?"

She let out a sigh, "some associates where whispering and laughing, really it's nothing." He looked at her, shaking his head. "They're fired," he whispered making her smile a little. "No they aren't," she argued, her running up and down the back of his neck, "it's probably nothing new anyway," she whispered, "we've always been part of the gossip mill here and at the D.A.'s office."

"At the D.A.'s office too?" he frowned, looking away as he heard her laugh. "You practically asked me out two times a week," she closed her eyes thinking back to how he'd stop by and sit on her desk during lunch or at the end of the day. Always trying to win her over. "You know," he smiled, biting his lip as his eyes locked with hers, "we could give them something to talk about."

"Harvey," she frowned looking at him as he gently put her back on her feet, his left hand catching hers, letting their fingers intertwine as he reached for his suit jacket with his other hand. "Let's take the rest of the day off," he kissed her briefly before he guided her out of his office. "It's.. " she stuttered looking at her watch, "two in the afternoon," she looked at him as if he'd gone insane.

"Exactly," he smirked reaching for her coat and placing it over her shoulders, "we have more important things to do."

.

Her fingers slipped between his as they stepped over the threshold. Her head leaning to his shoulder she let out a happy sigh, "the uniforms are so cute," she whispered trying to take his mind of the little incident. "And the classes are a reasonable size," she continued as they walked over to the black Lexus with Ray still waiting for them.

"The playground was great," she turned to face him as he held the door open for her. Her hand resting on the door handle on the inside, "and it's on the way to the firm from home," she continued as he crooked his head, slowly shaking it as he kept looking at her.

"I know what you're trying to do," he mumbled placing a kiss on top of her head as he waited for her to sit, "but it's not working," he added closing the door behind her, before he walked around the car and sat down next to her on the other side. Frowning as he heard something wrinkle under him.

"Really," he mumbled, his fingers tapping the spread out newspaper he was sitting on and this time it was her looking at him with big eyes. "Harvey," she whispered leaning a bit closer to him, "it was an accident." He crooked his head looking at her, biting his tongue to stop himself from smiling. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" she smiled at him seeing him close his eyes. His hand catching hers in the small space between them. "You know what I mean," he mumbled squeezing her hand as he looked at her again. A smile plastered across his face as he just studied her and thought about how happy she made him.

"Harvey," she whispered then, "you do realise that that can happen in two years at home too, don't you?" she pointed at the paint stain on his pants and he let out a sigh. "I know, but it won't," he countered. "Why not?" she asked. "Because our kid will be awesome," he looked at her and she was the one to look down now. Still not completely used to him talking about them or their baby.

A couple of minutes later she asked Ray to stop on the corner. The car slowed down next to the side walk and Harvey frowned looking at Donna who just signalled him to stay put. Ray helped the redhead out of the Lexus, waiting outside the car as she disappeared inside Saks.

Returning with a small paper bag, she smiled at Ray asking him to wait for a few minutes as she got into the car herself. "Okay, take off your pants," she ordered before she even had the chance to look at him. "What?" he mumbled confused, his eyes meeting hers again. "Your pants," she spoke again, "take them off or I will."

"Donna," he sighed not sure what to do, but she let out a laugh. "Not like that," she slapped his arm, "I got you a new pair of trousers," she held the bag in front of him, "so take those off and I'll bring your suit to the dry cleaner right now."

"Shame though," he mumbled taking off his jacket, his hands moving to his belt as he smirked at her. "Not everything is about sex Specter," she countered taking the grey suit pants from his hand as he handed him the new ones. She slid over the backseat back to the door, looking over her shoulder at him. "Don't worry I'll take those off at home," she winked, before she got out of the car again with his suit in her hands. "God woman," he breathed as he struggled with closing the zipper.

.

She let her head rest against his shoulder. "I really did like the school," she whispered and he let out a small laugh as he noticed how she tried to poach the subject carefully. "I liked it too," he whispered, letting his hand run up and down her arm as he waited for Ray to park the car.

She frowned as she noticed they stopped at her own apartment building. "Harvey," she questioned him as he helped her out of the car, "why are we here?" He walked to the trunk of the car, removing a dozen of moving boxes from it. "Because we need your stuff to make the condo really our place," he smiled, nodding his head at the direction of the door, signalling her to walk inside. "Besides, there's no way you have brought all your clothes and shoes over."

She smiled shaking her head, opening the door for him. "There's not enough room for all the bags you bought me at the condo anyway." He let out a laugh, dropping the boxes on her couch. "Ooh so that's my fault now?" he countered, taking the bag from her hand and placing it next to the rest.

She nodded, letting him pull her closer until his arms are wrapped around her waist. "I forgive you," she teased him, giving him a quick kiss in the process. "Donna, " he mumbled looking her in the eye again, "what do you want to do with this place? Sell it? Rent it out?"

She let out a breath, her hand falling on his shoulders as she looked around again. "You do want move in with me, right?" he asked and she noticed the tone in his voice. "Yes," she answered instantly, "Yes," she mumbled again, "I just .. I hadn't really thought about that yet," she whispered and he nodded.

"We'll keep it," he countered before she could speak again, "because you have too many handbags anyway." She let out a laugh, her hand playfully slapping his shoulder. "Gives us a chance to sort things out, furniture wise and with this little one," he added nodding at her stomach.

.

He looked around his, now their, living room again. Seeing her placing a few picture frames to the wall she decorated all those months ago. He smiled, not knowing there were even that many pictures of them together. Not just from the past couple of months but all those years combined. New Year's 2008, a copy of the picture of them in Italy all those years ago, something that must have been some sort convention and then there's a picture of when she ordered him to join her at her parents wedding.

"Is that everything?" he asked and she rolled her eyes pointing at a box on the floor. "Those are my shoes, don't touch them," she added before he got a chance to reach for them and she walked over to the couch. Placing a couple of her pillows on it as she threw him a confident smile. "Who would have known my stuff would work so well with yours," she commented.

His head thrown back, he let out a laugh. "You do remember you're still the one that picked out every piece of furniture in this place," he teased as he walked over to her and she's left standing there with her mouth agape. "What are you insinuating?" she countered then, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

He raised his eyebrows, shaking her head as he looked at her. "Maybe you planned this all along," he whispered and she scoffed as he turned her around, his arm falling around her shoulder and he planted a kiss in the crook of her neck. "I want to show you something," he continued as his hand reached for the door to the study room.

"Harvey I didn't," she whispered then still thinking about the previous topic, "and I resent any implications otherwise," she added looking at him briefly. "Okay," he answered, shrugging his shoulders and his movement didn't go unnoticed. "Harv, I'm serious," she turned to face him.

"And so am I," he nodded, turning her around again as he pushed her inside the nearly empty study. "We should start thinking about decorating it." Her mouth dropped once more as she stepped out of his embrace. Taking in the empty room around them, she turned on her place till she faced him again. "When did you do this?" she whispered.

"After we talked about everything," he smiled, "couldn't sleep that night," he confessed. She looked down for a moment. "Why didn't you tell or show me before?" she asked then and he crooked his head. "Because you wanted to take one step at a time and I didn't want to pressure you," he answered, walking towards her again. "Now, where should the crib go?"

.

"Have you been able to make a decision?" the waitress asked walking up to their booth and Harvey nodded, placing the menu down. "I'll have the majestic," he answered his hand reaching for the redheads again. "Don?" he mumbled. She let out a sigh, looking up from the menu to both of them. "I'll uhm..have the same," she answered her hands already closing the menu. "And can I get some fries with that?"

"Of course," the young girl nodded scribbling it down on her note block. "And some chicken wings," Donna concluded placing the menu on the table between them. Her eyebrows raised as she saw him smiling at her. "What," she mumbled looking at him, "I'm eating for two," she pointed her hands at her stomach, before she turned to the young woman again.

"I'm eating for two," she said again, more confident this time and the waitress smiled at both of them. "Congratulations, the food will be right with you," the young woman answered as she took the menus from the table. "Wait," Donna called after her, making the girl turn around again. "Do you have pancakes?"

The girl frowned for a second before nodding. "Those too please, "Donna smiled and the woman pulled out her note block again, giving a somewhat questioning look to Harvey. "Just give her all the food she wants," he commented, his hand squeezing Donna's and the waitress nodded again. "Uhm.. with or without whipped cream?"

"With," Harvey answered before Donna got a chance to, "always with."

.

He leaned back in the booth, just smiling as he took her in and the way she looked at all the food in front of her. Obviously still deciding with what to start, she reached for a fork and stole the slice of pickle form his burger. "Really? " he mumbled, but the way she closed her eyes as she took a bite and the smile on her lips that followed made him forget the entire incident.

"I can't believe the last time you were here was when –"

"No," he interrupted her, not wanting to hear the man's name, "I've been here far more recent," he confessed then and Donna leans back, questioning his face. "Couple of months ago, after that thing with Forstman and we finally got him," he mumbled and she nodded waiting for him to continue. "I know we had drinks that night in the office, but it uhm.. it wasn't enough."

"Next day I realised that just drinks wasn't a way to celebrate and I wanted to …" he shook his head, "I don't even know what I wanted to do. Maybe get you a new bag or something, but I drove by your place and you weren't home and then I went here. Because you always go here on a Friday morning," he chuckled somehow it was still not easy for him to talk about them before them, "but I forgot I'd given you –"

"The day off," she whispered swallowing and he nodded, pressing his lips together in a thin line. "I'm sorry," she whispered then swallowing, her eyes welling up and his eyes widened in the process. "Hey," he mumbled leaning forward, his thumb moving over her cheek. "Don't cry. We're celebrating now," he whispered.

She swallowed, pushing back the tears. "It's just.." she mumbled. "The handbag?" Harvey smiled and she closed her lips, shaking her head. "Cause you just said there wasn't room for it anyway," he smirked and she rolled her eyes.

Her hand falling around the vanilla milkshake on her right she raised the glass a little. "Let's toast," she whispered as he mirrored her move. "To putting Forstman behind bars," she smiled and he laughed. "You're toasting on that now?" he countered. "Well, he's not out yet right?" she asked and he shook his head. "Then I am," she concluded.

He let his glass cling against hers. "And to us moving in –" his words interrupted by the sound of his ringtone. His jaw clenching a little as he saw the name on the screen he answered. "Jessica?"

.

Taking firm steps back to his office, he held onto the folder in his hand. His head snapping to the left, her name left his lips in an instant. "Donna, I need you to –" But before he could finish his sentence she followed him inside his office, closing the door behind them. "Why did you take this case Harvey?" she interrupted him.

He let out a sigh, turning to face her. "What?" he mumbled confused. "Against Cameron, it never ends well with him involved," she answered letting go of the door then. "I didn't take it to pick a fight with him Donna," he countered, "but Nick is one of my oldest clients, you know that."

"I do," she whispered stepping closer, "it's just. Last time it got so messy and I.. I just can't deal with that now," she pressed her lips together, as she looked away. His hand moved to her elbow, pulling her closer. "Hey," his fingers wrapped around her wrist, "look at me. I promise it's going to be just fine," he tried to reassure her. "Besides this case isn't against him anyway."

She sniffled once, her eyes meeting his at last. "Then why did I get a call from Stephanie to say Cameron took over?" her hand pointing at the phone, but her eyes never leaving his. "Son of bitch," he blurted out, letting go of her hand in an instant as he moved down his office. "Harvey," she turned around on her spot, "what are you –"

"I'm going down there, right now," he countered. His name leaving her lips one more time, but it had no point. He'd already stormed out of his office.

.

His hand clenched around the rolled up piece of paper, his feet taking steps that felt familiar yet had last been taken over a decade ago. His left hand is buried in the pocket of his pants, his head still high he walked through the department. After everything he's been through his attitude not what it used to be, but the swagger was still there. Just different. He didn't really want to be there and the only reason he was, was that piece of paper in his hand. That case and the fact that opposing counsel wasn't the D.A. originally listed, but Cameron Dennis.

"Look at that," it are three words, they could be directed to anyone but it's the voice that pronounced them and the way his name followed that he stopped and turned around. His face in a frown as he didn't expect to see her still working there.

"Harvey Specter," he saw the woman shaking her head and he gave her that smirk he already mastered back then. "Big Bertha," he smiled walking over to her desk. She let out a laugh, this older version still very much the same as the man she got to know. Even if she saw him without his partner in crime now. "Good to see you, Harvey," she smiled, "why are you here?"

His jaw clenched, looking around one more time. But the man he came to see was nowhere to be seen. "Cameron," he mumbled, raising his hand to show her the paper. "He isn't in yet," she answered, "probably making you wait on purpose."

"Typical, hasn't changed a bit," he mumbled letting out a sigh. "And you have?" Bertha countered studying his face. He closed his eyes, biting his tongue as he realised that this is exactly why Donna liked the woman opposite of him. "As a matter of fact I have," he stated a smile on his lips now.

"Red still working for you?" she asked then and he smiled. "Yes, she is," he answered proudly. "Hmm," the secretary mumbled looking down, "I really thought the way the two of you were hitting of and that rule of hers, that that wouldn't be the case anymore."

His mouth dropped a little, not knowing anyone else knew about that rule. "Look what the cat dragged in," his head snapped to the left, seeing the man he came to see walk towards him. "Who says she still has that rule," he countered looking at Bertha briefly before Cameron Dennis stood next to him, "why aren't you retired?" he countered as the two of them walked to his former boss's office.

.

It took him everything he had to not take a swing at the grey haired man, but he managed to maintain himself. But he was so close. _"Looks like your secretary finally let you do more than play footsie with her."_ He'd hit that smug face a million times in his mind already, but he couldn't. Not now, not even to defend her, because he promised. He promised things would be fine.

His hands still balling into a fist he made his way back after the meeting. Wanting to get out of that place as soon as possible, but he got stopped by Bertha once more. "I hear congratulations are in order," she spoke. His clenched jaw loosened and he tried to hold his laugh, nodding as he turned to face her again.

"You called Donna," he countered. "Damn straight," she smiled as she watched him cave. Reaching for his wallet, he pulled out a copy of the sonogram as he showed it at her. Big Bertha smiled. "She must be very happy," she continued, "she always wanted to become a mother and she has always wanted that with you." He swallowed upon hearing those words, but smiled at the woman regardless. "We're very happy."

.

The words of the man he once saw as a mentor are on repeat in his mind, he still can't believe he managed to keep his cool. To not punch the guy, but the anger inside him is bottling up. Finally realising Donna had been right all along all those years ago, how the man was poison and how leaving him was huge.

He can't even remember why he'd wanted to protect him back then and he feels ashamed at the way he fell out against the redhead back then. Especially after everything that man just said about her. He wished he'd punched him, Donna would have been pissed, but she'd still support him. His fist briefly landing against the wall of the elevator he waited for it to reach the fiftieth floor.

Strutting through the office his eyes fell on his fellow name partner. His jaw clenching again, he's breathing turning heavier as he noticed the box the man was holding. Captain Crunch. The boxes he'd brought to the firm especially for Donna, because it was one of the only things she could stomach.

And suddenly something snapped.

He stormed inside, his hand pulling the bowl from Louis's hand. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snarled, making Louis jump back. "Can't you read what's on the god damn box?" he fired at the shorted man. "I'm just – "

"Knock it off, right now," Jessica stepped in the room, making Harvey snap out of his trance again. "Jessica, I.." he started, before Louis could, but the managing partner didn't want to hear any off it. "Both of you," she pointed at them, "my office now."

.

Rachel noticed the way the redhead was staring in the distance of Harvey's office, how her hand was tapping against the desk. Her other hand resting on her stomach. "Are you okay?" the young associate asked leaning against the edge of the cubicle.

Donna looked up, her eyes meeting those of her best friend and she saw this concerned look. "Yes," she answered, "yes I am. I'm just .. uhm, hungry," she laughed, her hands in the air. "You know the usual," she pulled her chair closer.

"Do you want me to get you something?" Rachel asked, her hand holding onto the magazine she came to show. "Ooh no," Donna shook her head, "Louis was already making me something," she smiled. "So what can Donna do for you?"

"Actually," Rachel beamed, bringing up the magazine, "I came to show you this," she smirked placing it on the redheads desk. "And why are you bringing me," the redhead looked down at the magazine, reading the line the younger woman was pointing at. "Eligible bachelors?" Donna repeated, " Rach I'm not exactly single."

"I know," Rachel chirped walking around the cubicle till she reached for the magazine again. "But you should read this," she said as she folded the magazine and handed it back. Donna let out a breath, taking it in her hands, she started reading. "New York's Top fifty most eligible bachelors," she read out loud looking up to Rachel who signalled for her to continue.

"New in the list this year, on number forty-eight is one of Manhattan's best lawyers. Name partner at Pearson Specter Litt, the forty-two year old Louis Marlow Litt," Donna paused for a second, trying to hold her laugh. "How?" is all she mumbled, and Rachel laughed out loud.

"Rach I'm serious," the redhead laughed, "who got kicked out of this for Louis.. I mean, he's my friend, but for Louis to get in this?" she waved with the magazine. "Ooh," Rachel smiled, "just turn the page," she ordered and Donna followed her words instantly. Her breath faltered when she saw the picture. His picture.

"I.. uhm.." she stuttered and Rachel smirked, taking the magazine again as the redhead couldn't focus anymore. "Leaving this year's list," the associate started, "is the city's best closer and what most of us assumed to be perpetual bachelor, Harvey Reginald Specter," Rachel read.

She looked at Donna who was too stunned to speak, but just nodded to continue. "Editors called to inform on the lucky ladies info," Rachel saw the redhead swallow, "but all the lawyer let out was that he has found the love of his life," she read, turning the magazine around again.

"He called you the 'love of his life'," she chirped with a smile and Donna nodded, her eyes still wide till she finally found her voice. "Of course I am," she answered and she let out a breath, looking at the magazine again. "He really said that?" she mumbled then, "he actually commented when they.. he..I.."

"He did," Rachel smiled brightly, her hand squeezing Donna's for a moment. "Next thing you know he's going to propose," Rachel continued and Donna's mouth dropped a little in surprise, before a smile turned on her lips. "No," she concluded eventually, "we're already married," she clarified, her hand falling on her bump as her stomach roared.

"Gosh, I'm hungry," she mumbled again, looking down at the cause of that. "Do you want me to go and see where Louis is?" Rachel asked, but the redhead shook her head. "No, I'll go myself," she answered pushing back her chair as she walked off to the partner's kitchen. "Thanks Rach," she spoke looking over her shoulder again, "I really needed that."

.

"Harvey," the managing partner spoke as she let her hands rest on her desk, "I don't know what the hell is going on with you these days, but it has to stop." Harvey let out a sigh, looking down. "Jessica, I –"

"No," she spoke again ,"you're going to let me speak. Now I know what Donna means to you and that you're together and expecting a child, and I'm happy for you. You two decided to keep things to yourself, but I've got partner's coming to my office every goddamn week asking what's going on. They're worrying about negative publicity, how it's possible for a name partner to get his secretary pregnant and not – "

"She's not just my secretary," Harvey interrupted her and Jessica nodded. "I know and I respect your decision, but after everything I can't have anything cause issues amongst the partners. Now fighting off Soloff because he's got questions is one thing, but you attacking Louis like that is unacceptable."

He bit his tongue, not even knowing what to say he looked over his shoulder to the right. Sensing her presence his eyes lock with hers and he noticed the bowl with Captain Crunch in her hands. The way she took a bite as she walked past him, rolling her eyes and shaking her head she walked away again and he let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry Louis, Jessica," he mumbled. He lifted himself from his chair. "It won't happen again and uhm.. I'll talk to Donna about this. It's just complicated with the marriage thing," he spoke and Jessica nodded understanding what he meant.

"Marriage?" Louis repeated, looking at Harvey's face. "You.. Donna and .. you two are married?" he asked and Harvey nodded. "Yes, we are." The other lawyers mouth dropped and he frowned. "When?" he asked. "When what, Louis?" Harvey replied. "When did the two of you get married?"

Harvey let out a sigh. "Nine and a half years ago," he answered truthfully. "Nine… nine and half years ago," Louis stuttered, "and .. and .. but you brought Scottie to the firm. Everyone knew you were in a relationship with her and.. and you're saying you were married to Donna .. the whole time?"

Harvey signed once more. "That's why it's complicated Louis," he concluded after he explained the situation to his fellow name partner. "So not only did you hire a fraud, but you actually have a fraudulent marriage?" Louis countered.

"Didn't you listen to anything I just said?" Harvey shot back, "we love each other and I'd marry again her if I could, but we decided we didn't want to continue with the divorce procedure." Louis let out a breath, "now you're sounding exactly like Mike, with his I would have gone to law school if I got to do it all over again."

"That has nothing to do with this," Harvey replied, "because honestly yes I should have done things differently, but in the end this is what has brought us together and I wouldn't change that for the world."

"She still deserves better," Louis concluded.

"What?" Harvey shot back, "so now you're saying she shouldn't be with me at all?" he asked his face towering out above Louis. "Guys," Jessica stepped in, but Louis raised his arm. "No," he answered turning around, "that's not what I'm saying because me and everyone else can see that for some unknown reason that woman loves you," he shouted back pointing at the direction of Harvey's office.

"All I'm saying," Louis continued his hand falling on the door handle, "is that after all those years, she deserves more than a 'I'd marry her again if I could', so much more," the lawyer shook his head, before walking himself out of the office.

Harvey stared at the spot the other man had just been standing, his eyes closing slowly he swallowed. "Harvey," Jessica spoke and he let out a breath. "I know," he mumbled, "he's right… I should.. I." Jessica nodded slowly walking over to him. Her hand resting on his shoulder. "He is right," she confirmed.

.

Thinking about his fellow name partners' words, he entered his office. His head falling to the right as he saw her sitting in his desk chair. A small smile creeping up his lips he walked towards her. "I know you brought him with you as a client after the D.A.'s office," she spoke then turning to face him.

"Donna," he mumbled, his tone sounding as a warning. "I know which case it was," she countered, her eyes meeting his. "Donna," he breathed now, his hand balling into a fist, because he really wasn't in the mood for this. "Just because I didn't work for you back then doesn't mean I don't know what happened," she spoke pushing herself back on her feet, "and given Cameron's history with evidence tempering," she paused looking at him, "I know you tried back then. How you tried to prosecute him for everything else, just to get that bastard away and that's why I wanted to work for you, but you can't trust Cameron, Harvey. You can't."

"I know," he let his hand rest on his desk, "but in order for me to win this, I need to trust him. At least for now," he answered. "Why?" she countered. "Because I win," he tapped his hand on the desk, "that's why."

"Harvey," she whispered, walking towards him, "is this another example of you trying to show you haven't gone soft?" she asked then, her eyes searching for his. He frowned. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "The other day at the market, fighting with Louis over a bowl of cereal and do you really think Big Bertha left out your yelling match with Cameron when she called me?" she asked. Her head crooked, just looking at him.

His eyes closed and he let out a breath. "I didn't go soft," he mumbled. "I know," she whispered, stepping closer she let her hand trail over his arm. "This is who you've been all along," she smiled at him. "So you're saying I've always been soft now?" he countered, giving her a pout.

She let out a sigh. "No," she answered shaking her head. "I'm saying I knew you had this side of you from the start. That arrogant bravado never fooled me, but others, others aren't used to it yet. That's all," she squeezed his hand.

"That's why I need to win this case," he answered once more, his head nodding at her previous words. She reached for a folder on his desk. "That's why I got you meeting with Judge Atkins," she smiled tapping the file against his chest, "now win this case."


	35. Chapter 35 - Privilege

**Hi everyone! Meeshmo, -stories, MayisGJ, EmMNarang2513, donnaspecter, acuriousbeastie, darveyforever and cadalways thank you so much for the reviews on last chapter! And everyone else who fav/ followed it. It's taken a bit longer than I expected to update this as I just couldn't bring myself to write it.. (not that I haven't written anything in the meantime, you might have seen my letter to Korsh or other posts on tumblr.. I just found it hard to focus on this or any other fic for that matter).. but at last, here's the next chapter and it's really long, but I wanted to get it over with. So I hope you enjoy it and maybe leave a review? x**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Privilege**

.

 _ ***13 Years Ago: D.A.'s office***_

" _So you're absolutely sure he's seeing Natalie?" Stephanie Liston asked as she walked besides the redhead. "Yes," she nodded, "but not just her. Sharon too," she added. Stephanie stared at her for a moment before she mumbled a 'no way' but Donna just nodded and smiled, her hand reaching for the button of the elevator._

" _How do you know all this?" Stephanie shook her head, but laughed and stopped the redhead before she could recite her signature line. Both of them stepping into the elevator, they made their way down to get some lunch in one of the café's down the street._

 _He lifted the cup from his desk turning towards the victim's brother. The man probably only a few years older than himself, he swallowed knowing that whatever he was going to say wasn't going to make the situation any better. "Nick," he sighed, "the tape is a setback, but I promise I'll do anything in my power to put that son of a bitch away."_

" _A setback?" the man fired back, his hands in the air, "that guy is going to walk." Harvey turned around the man, shaking his head. "No he's not," Harvey argued, trying to reassure the man. "And how are you going to make sure of that?" Nick asked unsure._

 _Her pace slowed down, her head turning to the right as she overheard part of the conversation. "Because I'm going after him for racketeering instead," she heard a young man that must work there too answer. "I'll try every trick in the book to get that number of years close to what it would have been for conspiracy to commit murder. I promise, even if it's the last thing I do here."_

 _Her head crooked, she swallowed as her feet continued taking steps, but all she could focus on was that conversation and the one leading it. "Donna," her head snapped back to Stephanie when she heard her name, "are you coming?" the woman asked. "Yeah," she mumbled shaking her head, looking to her right one more time before she followed her path._

 _His gaze lifted from the man in front of him and it briefly landed on a redhead walking by in the distance. Hearing his name mere seconds later he looked away again and continued explaining how he would put Frank Gallo away for the next decade. "I promise," the young lawyer spoke again._

 _._

 ***present time***

He turned around in his chair, his eyes following the man that was pacing up and down his office. "Nick," Harvey spoke, but the older man shook his head, clearly still in a panicking mode. "I didn't do this," Nick Miller spoke, "I didn't. I don't know where that money came from and – "

"Nick," Harvey tried to get his attention again, this time partially succeeding as his client turned to face him. His hands falling down on the backrest of the chairs in front of Harvey's desk. "I didn't do this," the man repeated again. "You once asked me to believe you on nothing but your word and I need you to do the same for me now. I have nothing to do with this, I promise."

Harvey swallowed upon hearing those two words. It's why the man in front of him followed him to the firm and took him on as corporate lawyer. "I know," Harvey nodded in agreement, "but Cameron Dennis wouldn't be coming after you if he had nothing. So if we're going to proof that this is a set up you need to give me every piece of information I might need. No matter how little," Harvey countered.

"Of course," Nick nodded, "no problem." Harvey sighed and pushed his chair back. "Anyone you can think of that would do this to you?" he asked as he lifted himself on his feet. Nick let out a breath, thinking for a moment, but the only name he could come up with didn't make sense. "No," he spoke already shaking his head.

She looked over her left shoulder into his office. Seeing him nod and hearing him speak those same words that captivated her years ago. "I promise we'll figure this out." She smiled proudly, her hands already dialling the two associates to let them know Harvey was on their way. A small nod in his direction, she watched him walk by her cubicle.

.

"Harvey," Rachel greeted her boss as he stepped into Mike's office, making Harvey's head turn back and forth between the two. "Right," he mumbled, "I need both of you on this case," he ordered dropping a file on the younger man's desk. "Find out what the hell it is that makes Cameron Dennis target my client."

"Harvey," Rachel spoke before the lawyer turned away. "What exactly are we looking for?" she asked and he let out a sigh. "Anything," he answered. "Blackmail, money transfers or just any connection between Cameron Dennis and Nick Miller," the lawyer spoke. "And if you can't find anything there see if there's something that ties me to either of them."

"You?" Mike asked confused, "Harvey why would you be involved in this any more than the fact that you're Miller's lawyer?" Harvey let out a sigh, his head crooked as he looked from the younger man to the younger woman. "Because I've been Nick's attorney since a case I took with him back when I worked in the D.A.'s office," he answered, "and it wouldn't be the first time for Cameron to twist things and try to take me down in the process."

Both associates nodded as they watched the lawyer leave again and Mike turned to face his fiancee. Going over the information their boss had just given them in his mind. "Does this remind you of something else too?" he asked then. "Forstman," Rachel stated.

"But he's in prison," Rachel shrugged her shoulders, "and that was over half a year ago how would he even be able to do something? And if he could, why now and why this client?" Mike let out a sigh. "I don't know," he shook his head, "but for a man like that there will always be a possibility to pull some strings."

.

"Mike," Rachel spoke as she flipped through another file. "Look at this," she pointed at the line. "One hundred thousand dollars," Mike read out loud looking at the brunette again. "It's also the only amount that's been transferred to this account on a monthly basis from this account that isn't further specified," she spoke. Mike let out a sigh. "Tax fraud," he answered, "but it doesn't add up with what Harvey told us."

"We need to know where that money comes from and where it's going," Rachel spoke as she lifted herself out of her chair. "Where are you going?" Mike asked confused. "Do you really think you're the only one that knows how to convince Benjamin to do something," she countered throwing him a smile as she walked off.

Benjamin's eyes closed when he smelled it, the bacon. His eyes only opening when he heard the paper bag drop on his desk. "Ross," he spoke, a frown appearing on his face as he looked at the young female attorney who smiled at him. "It's Rachel," she smirked, "and I need you to trace this bank account number."

.

"Ooh my god," she mumbled staring at the monitor then. The nine letters staring back at her. "This can't be right," she looked at Benjamin who seemed just as confused as her. "Can you see if any other accounts have received money from it," she paused, not able to pronounce the name. "I'll try," Benjamin answered, his fingers already typing away as Rachel studied the freshly printed pieces of paper in her hand.

Hastily she walked back to Mike's office, the papers clenched between her hands. "We have a problem," she announced stepping inside. Mike looked up, meeting her eye. "Yeah we do," he agreed thinking about what he'd just found. "So that account number we found," Rachel sat herself down as she turned the files around, "It's set in Harvey's name," she added letting out a sigh. "Mike this is bad."

He nodded, "but if this is indeed a setup like Harvey warned us, it might be bigger than we thought." He got up out of his chair, walking over to the whiteboard. "I couldn't shake what you said about Forstman earlier," he spoke, "and how we had to search for people in Eric Woodall's life back then to see the connection on how it all came together. So I started looking into Cameron and Nick."

"And?" Rachel asked.

"The only connection they have right now is what Harvey told us. That case from thirteen years ago, so I started looking for things on Cameron instead and he has a brother who works as a guard in Danbury federal prison."

"Cameron?" the brunette asked. "Yes," Mike answered, "and guess who got incarcerated there?" Rachel slowly shook her head in disbelief. "Forstman," she concluded then, already reading the answer in her fiancée's eyes. "So do you think this," she raised the bank records, "is his doing?"

.

She increased her step as much as her body let her. Her left hand extended she reached for his sleeve, making him turn around to face her. "Donna," he acknowledged her as both of them kept walking. "You can't just get over there. They won't let you see him," she spoke.

"They will," he argued back, his hand reaching for the button of the elevator. "I put that son of .." he paused his sentence seeing her frown at him, her hand protectively wrapped around her stomach. "I put him in there, they will let me see them."

"Harvey," she countered stepping into the metal box and turning around next to him. Both of them remaining silent as they were surrounded by others now. She just looked at him with a frown on her face, he just stared back at her trying not to cave.

He looked away when the elevator opened again, but they weren't on the ground floor yet. A couple of secretaries from the fortieth floor stepped inside, the latter one walking straight to the redhead. The hands of the woman instantly reaching for her belly. "Ooh congratulations, how far along are you?" the woman beamed.

Harvey's brows furrowed even further as he stared at the woman. "Almost six months," Donna answered, giving the woman a small smile. Her hand reaching for Harvey's in the space between them, she just knew he was about to burst at the blonde.

Feeling her squeeze his hand and he bit his tongue as he sighed. Trying to not be bothered by the situation, but deep down he was. As the others got of the elevator he stepped outside, his fingers still intertwined between hers.

"Do more people do that?" he mumbled then, his eyes finding hers again. "Touch your stomach," he added for clarification as they turned around the corner. "It has happened before yes," she answered, "guess it's being part of being pregnant."

"I don't like it," he concluded, holding the door open for her as his hand slid from hers. She gave him a small smile, biting her lip because his jealousy was showing. She knew that that no touching rule had been a big issue for him, especially now that they are together.

"It's not like I really can do anything about it," she countered facing him again as they walked to the black Lexus down the street. Her head crooked she looked at him as he opened the door. He let out a sigh, his eyes locking with hers again. "I know," he breathed, his hand moving a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just don't like to share," he whispered, making her smile because it were the words she had said to him all those years ago. "I'll call Danbury," she answered then, "see if I can get you an appointment while you're on your way over there."

He pressed his lips together in a small smile. "I love you," he spoke just before he kissed her. Right there in the middle of the street and it was only then that she realised he'd never done that before. He'd kissed her in his office, the file room, their home or when they were somewhere for dinner, but never in the middle of the street. For everyone to see.

A bright flash making her pull back, she looked around confused for a second until she noticed the sun reflecting in the façade of the firm. "See you tonight," he whispered placing a kiss on the top of her head, before she looked at him again. Taking two steps back her hand on her stomach, she watched him drive off.

When the tail lights disappeared in the distance she turned around. Shrugging her shoulders she still felt a bit uneasy, but the sun was still reflecting in the glass panels next to her. _So what else could it be_ , she told herself as she now took in her own reflection. Swallowing as she stared at her mirror image, her bump suddenly looking bigger than it had ever done before and she wondered if she always looked this tired.

.

He knew the redhead could work miracles, but like she had warned him he'd expected to be send away at first. Or be stalled at least, not for things to go this easy. Walking through the dull hallway he followed a guard to the visitation room. He took place at the table, thanking the guard as he now waited for the man he hoped he'd never had to see again.

"Harvey Specter," the deep voice of the banker echoed through the small room, "to what do I owe the pleasure?" Charles asked as he sat himself down opposite of the lawyer. "Thanks to you I'm missing out on a pool game."

Harvey rolled his eyes turning to face him. "Cameron Dennis is your puppet," he spoke calmly. "Who?" the other man laughed. "You know exactly who I mean," Harvey countered. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't," Charles raised his shoulders, letting both his hands fall on the table. "Why are you here?"

"To tell you that if you want to pick a fight with me, fight me. Not my clients and certainly don't use others to fight for you," Harvey spoke. Charles leaned forward on his elbows. "Sorry to disappoint you son, but I'm not the one driving whatever fight you're talking about."

"But you sure as hell are involved in this someway," Harvey countered pushing himself back up on his feet, his head lifted he frowned for a second as he watched an inmate walk by. One that he knew all too well. "And when I'm done with this," he spoke walking to the window to see if his eyes did not betray him, "I'm going to make sure you will never see the light of day again," he finished pointing at the shady banker.

.

She stared at the plastic container on the coffee table. It smelled so good she had to buy it, even if she technically shouldn't be eating it. So she bought it for him, for when he came back. Resorting on some crackers and a cup of tea herself she curled up on the couch, watching one of the movies that was playing on TV that night.

Reaching for the tissues as the same commercial returned to her screen she didn't hear the door opening and his voice greeting her. Only when he said her name for a second time, she turned around. Wiping away her tears she smiled at him.

"Hey," he frowned walking towards her as he sat down next to her. "What's going on?" he whispered, his hands running over her arm, she shook her head. "Nothing," she whispered, "it's just .." she sniffled pointing at the TV. "It's this little kid with a camera," she whispered, bringing the tissue to her face again. "And he helps his father getting a motorcycle and I –"

"I know," he whispered, biting his tongue as he pulled her closer. His lips placing a kiss on the top of her head. She let her head rest on his chest, just listening to his breathing. "I'm watching a movie, will you join me. It's the Breakfast Club."

He smiled thinking about that time she compared them to Bender and Claire as he kissed her head again. "I can't," he mumbled, "this case… It's a mess. I should do some things tonight to catch up for the time I lost by visiting that bastard."

She nodded letting out a sigh as she wished him good luck. Leaning back against the pillows as he stood up, she pulled on his arm. "I got sushi," she pointed at the box on the table. "Donna," he looked at her confused, "you can't," he frowned and she rolled her eyes.

"I know," she sniffled again. "But you can," she handed him the box and he stared at her in disbelief. "You know I don't like sushi, right?" he mumbled, taking the box from her hand non the less as she kept pushing it to him. "Eat," she answered looking at him as he opened the box. Lifting a little roll from it, he brought it to his mouth.

"Now try this one," she pointed. "Donna," he sighed. He hated the taste, but seeing her smile was worth it. "Tell me how good it tastes," she answered lifting herself on her knees. "It's really," he paused swallowing the last piece, as he couldn't help but cringe a little, "good," he mumbled.

"Good," she smiled, her hand slipping over his vest to the collar of his shirt as she pulled him closer. Her lips brushing against his, she kissed him. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she mumbled the word again. "God, I miss sushi," she added sitting herself back down.

"Did you just," he didn't even finish his sentence as he shook his head, walking back to his desk. Letting out a sigh he sat himself down behind the stacks of paperwork. Giving himself one more look in her direction, he could only hope this case would be over soon.

.

When her eyes closed for the third time in a couple of minutes she decided it was best to skip the ending of the movie. She knew how it ended anyway, but it was the best part. The part she always teased Harvey with, all the times she would have wanted to pull him in the file room and just kiss him.

Sighing she lifted herself up. Looking in his direction once before she made her way to their bedroom. She changed into his old Harvard shirt. The one she'd always been sleeping in, but now got a little tight around her stomach. Showing just a few inches of her baby bump.

After brushing her teeth and going to the toilet for the second time, she walked back to the living room. Yearning she took in how his position hadn't changed a bit, the only sound coming from his direction were his fingers hitting the keys on his laptop.

She walked over to him, her hands brushing over his shoulders as she stood right behind him. "Are you coming to bed?" she whispered, her lips placing a kiss on his head as he turned to face her. "One more mail," he mumbled looking back at his screen. "I'll be right there."

One mail turned into one more and one more. For his own state of mind he couldn't stop, not yet. The case becoming too important and stressful. Only an hour later he too made his way to the bedroom. Disposing his clothes without much care he slid under the duvet next to her.

She could feel him move around. Tossing and turning, his position changing every time he sighed. "Harvey," she whispered then making him turn his head towards her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he mumbled tuning on his side.

"You didn't," she lied moving a bit closer to him. Calling out his name once more she reached for his hand, placing it on her stomach. Exactly there where their son was kicking. "Just focus on this," she whispered, closing her eyes as she felt his body melt against hers. Hearing him whisper how amazing this was, his head buried deep in the crook of her neck, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

xxx

 _He looked around the room. All his fellow A.D.A's sporting a smile, but none of them matching that proud feeling he felt inside. A glass pushed in his direction, he lifted the glass tumbler with the slice of lemon. Joining the others in their toast on him, but if they'd really known him they'd gotten him a different drink._

 _Taking one sip out of politeness, he turned away then. He liked his colleagues, his friends, but he'd always preferred working alone. He liked being alone or so he thought. Making his way through the crowd, he took his spot next to the bar. The glass he's just gotten landing back on the counter as he spoke. "Jay, can I get a Macallen 18?"_

" _You know, usually when someone wins their first trial, they at least pretend to finish the drink their fellow A.D.A.'s bought them." A female voice broke his thoughts and he slowly looked to his right, finding himself eye to eye with a young redhead._

" _I'm sorry," he spoke, frowning as he wondered where he'd seen her face before. The red bangs framing her porcelain skin face, her eyes dark and mysterious. His elbow leaning on the counter, he turned to face her even more. "Do we –"_

" _Know each other," she interrupted his sentence, her eyes moving up to meet his once more. "Not yet," she answered, letting her right hand rest on her left. "But today is your lucky day." His lips twitched a little at the confidence of the woman before him. "And why is that?" he played along._

" _Because it's the day you get to meet, Donna," she replied with a bright smile. "And let me guess," he countered, his curiosity awoken. "You're Donna," he repeated her name, his lips sporting a smile that mirrored hers._

" _Ooh," she laughed, her smile even brighter as she shook her head from left to right. "You have no idea how Donna I am," her tone now even more flirtatious than it had been just before. "Well, Donna," he answered, his right hand briefly pulling on his left sleeve before he extended his hand, "I'm Harvey –"_

 _Her hand catching his and his thumb briefly pressed into the back of her hand. "Harvey Specter," she finished his name for him, their eyes still locked she crooked her head. "You really think I'd be talking to you if I didn't know who you were?"_

 _His mouth still left agape, it took him a few seconds to formulate an answer. "And how exactly do you know about me?" he asked, curiously. "I know about everybody," she answered as she leaned on her other leg, her right hand pointing towards him, "what I don't know is, why is this the first case you took to trial?"_

" _Because," he started, his hands wide as he turned to the bar, ready to grab his glass of scotch, but his head still directed to her. "It was a white-collar crime, not some drug-dealer on the corner," he turned back to face her. "Which makes it the kind of case –"_

" _That puts your name in the paper," she answered, her words sounding more like a statement than a question. He stared at her again, his eyebrows slightly frowning as he repeated her words in his mind. "You're not just a pretty face, are you?"_

" _No, I'm not," she answered, her eyes still locked with his as she paused for a second. "So maybe you should buy me a drink and we can continue this conversation in the corner." Her lips slightly curling up as she noticed the way he opened his mouth but didn't speak once more. His chest moved up as if he was catching a breath, while he turned to the bar, now seriously wondering what he had gotten himself into._

xxx

Jessica pinched the bridge of the rose, her eyes closing as she threw the paper Gretchen just showed her on her table. Wondering why things could never be easy between them, but she also knew this wasn't their fault. Neither of them actively seeking a life in the spotlight, he was just a high profile lawyer.

Hoping no-one would think too much of it, they've had cases with setbacks like this before, she opened her mail. The opposite was true, not just one partner but five asking what was going on and what the firm would do against these accusations. The number could only increase by the end of the day or week for that matter.

Scrolling down her inbox her eye fell on another mail, this time from the partner in question himself. Shaking her head in annoyance she reached for her phone. Pressing the key for internal calls. "Donna," she spoke as soon as she noticed her call got through, "send him to me now."

He made his way over to his mentor's office. Letting out a sigh when he not only spotted her, but the other name partner there as well and it only confirmed the feeling that it wasn't just a casual 'let's talk about the firm' meeting. "What the hell were you thinking?" the managing partner inquired before he even closed the door behind him. "Jessica," he sighed, "that case against Cameron is bullshit, we'll get –"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

He frowned, looking to Louis for help on what the woman was referring to, but he gave him the same look he found on his mentor's face. "A memo saying 'don't touch Donna Paulsen's baby bump' send to all employees? Harvey. Really?"

He opened his mouth to speak, to protest, but the managing partner moved closer. "Now it isn't just Soloff, but Thomas & Klein are asking questions too. How long do you think it will take before every partner and more importantly clients will start asking questions on what exactly is going on between a name partner and his secretary? Possibly drawing the wrong conclusion in the process."

"Jessica," he breathed shaking his head. "Especially with headlines like this," Louis butted in holding up that days newspaper, one that clearly read 'Lawyer accused of involvement in client's money laundering.' "What?!" Harvey shot back as he looked up from the paper back to the others.

"Money laundering, Harvey," Louis repeated before Harvey frowned at him. "I heard what you said Louis," he shot back, "That head line is bullshit and I'm trying to figure out who's behind this all. This scheme, but this couldn't have been public knowledge yet."

"Why?"

"Because that notice came in only an hour ago."

.

Marching back to his office, his hands balled into a fist his eyes found her auburn locks instantly. "Everything okay?" she asked turning on her heel as she walked down next to him. "Jessica is pissed. The memo, this case," he sighed, "she wants me to wrap this thing up as soon as possible."

She looked at him concerned. "Do you know how?" she whispered, but she already read the answer in his eyes before he could even shake his head. "Harvey," she spoke her hand tapping against his arm as she stopped walking. "Then you better come up with something fast. Nick is in your office right now."

His eyes closed, his head slowly turning in the direction of his office. Sighing once more as he indeed spotted the blonde man. He nodded at the woman by his side again, before he made his way to his client. "Nick –"

"You are behind this?" The client asked before Harvey could finish the sentence he hadn't even fully structured in his head yet. Nick held the paper up high before he threw it on the lawyer's desk. "If you really thought that you'd be in the office of your new attorney now and not mine," Harvey countered, circling around his desk before he pulled his chair back. Taking a seat.

"Well you're right about that," Miller answered as he paced up and down the office. "And you were right about this all being one big set up," Harvey admitted as he turned around in his chair. "So who's behind this," Nick asked, his hands resting on the back rest of the chair in front of Harvey's desk, but the lawyer just shook his head. Not knowing anything for sure.

"Well you better figure it out fast," the client spoke, "because I got brought in for questioning this morning." Harvey's eyes widened upon hearing that. "What?" he nearly jumped on this feet, "why the hell didn't you call for me to be there?"

"I refused to answer any of his questions, Harvey," Nick answered, "do you think I'm stupid?"

"You didn't let them call me, so maybe you are," Harvey shot back pointing at his long term client, a silence falling between them. "They told me you were the one who got me into this mess, and if I thought it would be a good idea to let that very same man represent me," Nick explained, "and I told them I wouldn't answer without my attorney present so they let me go."

Harvey sighed, bringing his hand to his head as he shook his head. "Was this Cameron himself?" he asked then and Nick nodded. "Yes, he kept going on about how you caused all of this to happen and how he would make sure every case you ever tried as A.D.A. will be turned over."

Harvey just looked at the man, not sure how to respond and why the current case would have any relevance to his work there over a decade ago. "If this means that monster of a Gallo is getting out," Nick rambled, "Harvey I swear – "

"Gallo," Harvey said then, making Nick's head pop up.

"What?" he asked, confused. "I saw him," Harvey tried to put his thoughts in order as he started pacing through the room. "We found this one connection with Cameron and me, not your brother's case, but a banker I put away about seven months ago. I went to see him because he got incarcerated in the same prison where Cameron's brother works and I saw Gallo. I saw him there, " he repeated. "Maybe –"

"Harvey," Nick interrupted his thought process, "I really don't care if it's that banker or them coming after me, but if there's a chance that son of a bitch of a Gallo gets out, I –"

"Nick," Harvey raised his hand to stop him from talking. "That won't happen. I promise," he used those exact two words again. "Harvey, I'm serious," Nick said, "I don't care about the money, but you better guarantee that everything you did thirteen years ago was by the book. Cause if they start looking into that and he gets out on a technicality – "

"Nick," Harvey tried again, but the man shook his head. "If it comes down to it, I need you to be able to proof you did everything correct back then," Nick ordered, making Harvey frown. "I did exactly what you wanted me to do all those years ago," Harvey countered.

"So it wasn't exactly by the book," Nick Miller stated, staring at his lawyer. Harvey let out a sigh, "I didn't do anything illegal, but I did make sure I got that man on every single thing I could get him on," Harvey answered.

"If there anyone who can proof that you didn't?" Nick questioned. "What?" Harvey frowned. "If push comes to shove and they'll look into that case again," Nick said, "is there anyone who can testify on our behalf? Did you work with anyone else on it."

"It won't come to that," Harvey answered, but the look on Miller's face gave away that he wasn't satisfied with the answer. "And no," Harvey admitted, "I worked on it alone. Cameron Dennis was my supervisor so unless he wants to bring himself down, I really don't see anything happening."

"So you never discussed it with your secretary," Nick asked. Harvey's eyes immediately moving in Donna's direction. "I didn't have a secretary till after your case," Harvey recalled the moment when Cameron showed up with this brunette whose name he can't even remember.

"But Donna used to work at the D.A.'s office," Nick nodded his head in her direction. "No," Harvey shook his head, "you're not bringing her into this."

"But -"

"She didn't work for me at the time," Harvey countered, "she's never had anything to do with the case and I won't let it happen now."

"But it's the reason she came to work for you," Nick countered, "so she must know something about it."

Harvey's gaze roamed from her to his client again. "What?" he mumbled, his eyebrows brought together in a frown. "She told me," Nick raised his shoulders, "a couple of years ago when we had that fight. She told me that the way you handled my brother's case was why she wanted to work for you and that if I didn't think what you were doing was enough, I wasn't worth your representation."

Harvey's mouth dropped a little, he knew that she wanted to work for him because of this case, but he didn't know she told anyone else. His eyes wide he saw her look over her shoulder in his direction, a small smile on her lips as she nodded at him. "And if you still believe what she said to you," Harvey spoke turning to face Nick again, "than you won't ask me to bring her into this. I won't have it."

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but Harvey shook his head. Walking to the door, he opened it. Signalling for Nick to get out, the client merely nodded as he stepped outside. Her eyes met his as he did the same. "Harvey," she whispered but he shook his head, mumbling a "not now," as he made his way down to the forty eight floor.

.

"Mike," Rachel looked up from her files. "What if they're in this together? What if they all have their own little part in this scheme?" Mike frowned staring at the papers in his hand. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well that account we found and you had that hunch about Forstman and I'm not saying it's him," she started, "cause I really can't think any motive for Forstman to be doing this to Nick Miller, but the only other connection between Nick Miller and Cameron Dennis is that guy Harvey put away all those years ago." Mike nodded looking at his fiancée, "but how do Charles Forstman and Frank Gallo know each other?"

"Because they're in prison together," Harvey spoke as he stepped into the office, making both his associates look in his direction. "They're what?" Rachel shook her head, wondering if she really heard her boss say those words.

"I went to see Forstman yesterday," Harvey continued as he walked over to the window sill. Leaning against it as he studied the whiteboard before he continued his story, "after you two found out that he was in the prison Cameron's brother works and it just felt off, so I went over there to confront him and that's where I saw him. Frank Gallo."

"You sure you saw him?" Mike asked as he searched through the files again. "Cause according to these records he wasn't send to Danbury." Harvey nodded, already knowing that's what it read in those papers. He'd drawn them up himself. "I know, but I also know what I saw," he answered.

.

Harvey paced through the conference room as the two associates kept pushing around papers. Trying to find new connections, coming up with scenarios of how this was all connected. "Okay," Mike looked up, picking up a marker as he walked over the white boards they moved to the conference room.

"So we know that you," he pointed at Harvey, "put both Frank Gallo and Charles Forstman away," he spoke, seeing his mentor nod at him. "So let's assume they both want to get back at you," he spoke to Harvey before he wrote all three names down on another white board. "What's their connection or interest in bringing Nick Miller down with you?"

"Frank Gallo," Rachel read out loud as she held an old record in her hand, "you put him away for racketeering. Got sentenced for fifteen years." She looked up from her paper. "Fifteen years? How?" she pressed her lips together as she looked at Harvey, who let out a sigh.

"It's not what he did," he spoke then, burying his hands in his pockets. "We had him for conspiracy to commit murder, but the police let the tape of that bastard admitting that he did it out of the chain of custody for twenty minutes."

Mike nodded, "so you went after him for racketeering instead."

"I did," the lawyer spoke. "Used every trick I had to put him away for fifteen years for three crimes that would have added to five years at most," he explained. "That explains why Gallo would try something with you, but why Nick Miller?"

"Because it was Nick's brother that got killed. Gallo used to be one of his right hand men, but Nick has taken over the company after everything that happened," Harvey filled the two associates in. "But why would Gallo wait thirteen years to get back at them and would Gallo have the resources or the connections to set up that account we found," Mike continued writing.

"Forstman would," Rachel countered looking at both man before she grabbed a red marker and added that detail to the board. "And it would explain why this is only happening now, the two of them only met a few months ago when Gallo got transferred to Danbury. Fortsman has the resources, Gallo didn't have yet. But why would Forstman be going after Nick Miller?" she questioned, turning around again.

"He has no motive to go after him," Mike sighed looking at his boss as he thought back to the case they handled a couple of months ago. "But maybe he wouldn't need one, we know that he'd do anything to get what he wants."

"That doesn't make sense," Rachel argued, "he may be loaded, but let's assume he's indeed the one financing this thing that Gallo is organizing to bring both Harvey and Miller down, what does Forstman gain? We just said he'd do anything to get what he wants. So what does he want?"

"Too get back at him," Mike countered pointing at the other man in the room, who moved towards them. "Forstman was a banker," Harvey offered, "Nick runs an investment company, what if Forstman's goal is to own it. Drive him into the ground and buy it for pennies on the dollar?" he offered as the associates continued writing down more and more options.

.

"Shit," Rachel mumbled as she looked at the entire scenario they drew out, making Mike lean against the table next to her. "Shiiiiiiiiiiit," he mumbled looking at his fiancé who just frowned at him. "What?" she mumbled and he shook his head. "Ooh uhm.."

"What?" she pushed him again and he shook his head. "Nothing. It's this something I did with Katrina, it's from the – "

"Really? Katrina," Rachel countered, a frown forming on her face as she crossed her arms.

"Okay, why don't you two discuss this later. Preferably without me being here," Harvey interrupted the bickering couple. "I need you two to put this all into writing," he signalled at the boards in front of them, "and I'll go collect a favour."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked stopping his boss in the door way. "The only way to proof all this, is to find out exactly where that account really came from," Harvey answered. "And since we don't have excess to any of these person's bank records. The only one that could do that now is someone from the SEC."

"Cahill," Mike stated. "Cahill," Harvey nodded as he turned around, signalling for them to wrap this all up before he walked back to his office.

.

She turned her desk chair around. Sensing him walking down the fiftieth floor she looked up, a small smile on her lips as she waited in anticipation. "Donna," he spoke as he walked past her, "could you get Cahill on the phone for me?" Her smile faded slowly as her eyebrows moved down in a frown. Mumbling a sure, her hand already bringing the phone to her ear. She stared at him for a second before she pressed the numbers.

He let his hand run through his hair he took in the setting sun before he made a turn to the left as he walked over to his record player. Turning one of his father's records around in his hand, slowly removing it from the casing he placed it on the machine. "Donna," he acknowledge her before he turned around.

"Cahill is out," she paused, waiting for him to face her. "I asked his secretary to let him call you back as soon as possible," she added, closing the glass door behind her. "Harvey," she whispered stepping towards him, "it's bad isn't it?"

He wanted to shake his head. He wanted to tell her no, but he couldn't lie to the woman in front of him. "It is," he sighed nodding his head, his lips pressed together he gave her a small smile. This thing he hoped would show her that he's trying. "But I don't want you to worry about it," he answered as he placed the tone arm on the record.

"Harvey," she spoke again, stepping closer this time, but he shook his head. "Everything is going to be okay," he answered, his hands reaching for hers. "I know," she crooked her head, just looking at him. "I heard you talk to Nick earlier today and I want to help. If you need me to testify for you, I - "

"Donna," he whispered, making her stop talking. He just looked at her for a second before he spoke again. "I don't think that's necessary." He let his hands move over her arm, his fingers hooking around her elbows. "But if they ask me?"

"You don't have to, you know that right? If they ask you to testify against me," he asked. "With us being married, you can resort to spousal privilege if you want to," he added, his eyes still locked with hers. "But I want to help," she whispered, her eyes slightly tearing up. "I'm just worried about you."

He slowly shook his head. He hated seeing her with that look on her face, teary eyes and clearly worried about him. Instead of trying to reassure her once more he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Pulling her closer he pressed his lips against her temple.

Slowly he started swaying on the music that was playing in the background. Moving her body along with his she lifted her head. Questioning his actions, she watched him. Seeing his lips curl up in a small smile. "Did you know," he whispered taking her hand in his as he brought both of them to her stomach. "That this little one hear can feel movement like dancing?" he whispered changing the subject.

xxx

She stared into his empty office right after she returned from her lunchbreak. Her hands resting on her desk as she finally let herself sink down on her chair. Her eyes slowly dropping to the one envelope on her desk. One with her name on it and it made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

She never got any mail directed for her at the firm. Never and now in the middle of this case, it just felt off. Turning the envelope over in her hands, she let her fingers trace the edge. Sighing she reached for the metal opener, figuring it was best to just get it over with she moved the object through the folded piece of paper.

Pulling the letter out of it. Her hands started to shake as she took the content of the letter in. _"You are commanded to appear in the United States District Court,"_ the paper fell from her hands as she swallowed. Bringing her shaking hand to her mouth she looked in the direction of his office again and she wished he was there.

.

He felt his phone vibrating in the pocket of his pants. Pulling it out he saw her name on his screen. _**'I need you – x'**_ was all it read and even though it could mean a million things to anyone else. He knew that for her to text him this, it had to be serious. "Ray," he spoke not even looking up from his phone. "Back to the firm as soon as possible, please."

He made his back to her as soon as possible. "Donna," he called her name as he saw her sitting there, her head buried in her hands. "Donna," he mumbled, his tone softer this time as he stepped inside her cubicle. His hands on her shoulders, he turned her chair around making her face him.

"What happened?" he asked as he leaned against her desk. She wiped away a tear as she reached for the letter again. Handing it to him, she pushed herself back on her feet. "Cameron asked me to testify," she sniffed and he nodded putting the letter down again.

"Donna, you don't have to do this," he pointed at the letter again. "You're my wife and don't have to this," he spoke seeing her swallow. The way she brought her hand to her cheek again, wiping away another tear that ran down her cheek. "But what if me testifying could help you?" she snivelled again.

Just looking at her now, seeing her so emotional made his chest ache. "Donna," he slowly shook his head, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to do so," he answered. "What?" she whispered, confused she looked at him. "You're pregnant, you're –" he bit his tongue stopping himself from finishing his sentence as he saw her expression change to something that resembled annoyance.

"I just want to help you," she answered firmer this time as she took a step away from him. Her hand reaching for the letter. "And I believe that me doing this," she pushed the piece of paper against his chest, "is doing exactly that."

.

Pushing the heavy door open, he stepped inside. Moving his way to the crowd he wished he was at home with her, especially after what he'd just done. He hadn't told her yet and he knew she would be pissed about it, but he couldn't take the risk. Not with this case.

He spotted the short almost white hair in the distance and made his way over to the man in an instant. "What do you want Harvey," Sean spoke as he lifted his drink from the bar and turned to face the lawyer. "I need five minutes of your time that's all," Harvey answered. Cahill frowned. "Five minutes to catch up or five minutes to ask for a favour?"

"Five minutes to put this case I'm working on to bed once and for all," he answered. "And what case is that?" Cahill countered. "My client is falsely accused of money laundering, and one of the accounts we found involved in it is set up in my name."

"I'm sorry to hear that Harvey," Sean answered looking down, "but what am I supposed to do?" Harvey frowned for a second. "You're supposed to investigate if who we suspect is behind all this is indeed so," he answered. "I don't have the authority to do that," Sean shook his head.

"You're a federal prosecutor," Harvey countered, silencing the other man, "you can get the authority." Sean continued shaking his head. "Then why don't you ask the prosecutor on the other end of this case?" Cahill asked. "Because I helped you put him away in the first place and you owe me," Harvey countered.

"Forstman?" Sean stated more than asked and Harvey nodded, bringing his hand to the pocket of his jacket he pulled out some papers. "Now this everything we have so far, how we think it's all connected, but we need someone to look into it. To proof that connection," Harvey explained extending the papers to the other man.

"I need your help," Harvey added, making Cahill let out a sigh. His hand falling around the rolled up papers he took them from Harvey's hand. "I'll see what I can do," Sean spoke. "Good," Harvey smirked, "now let me buy you a drink."

"Why?" Sean frowned as he turned around again. "Because there are still two minutes left of those five minutes you promised me," Harvey answered with a smirk as they made their way to the bar. "And after I tell you what I want to tell you. You will want to toast with me."

xxx

He looked at her as they made their way up to the fiftieth floor that morning. He hadn't found the chance to tell her last night. She'd already been asleep when he came home from his drink with Cahill. And this morning, this morning she'd been so emotional over yet another commercial. This time just one on the radio, he'd been afraid that telling her would break her even more.

He knew he had to tell her soon or at least before she got her hands on a newspaper. He'd carefully hid the Financial Times at their apartment when he spotted the head line. His hand reaching for hers, he tried to manoeuvre her to his office. "I need to tell you something," he spoke softly, but she stopped walking her hand slipping from his.

He looked back at her, questioning her face as she smiled at him. Her hand raised in the air she pointed in the direction of the partner's kitchen. "Oooh .. I ..uhm.." she mumbled, bringing her other hand to her stomach. "I just need to grab something to eat," she signalled for him to continue walking. "I'll be right there." He smiled softly, watching her turn around before he made his way to his office.

She reached for one of the muffins on the counter, quickly making her way back she stopped in the door opening. Deciding she wanted a cup of tea to go with that cupcake, she turned around again. Taking a bite of the vanilla flavoured food in her hand, she put the water on.

Waiting for it to boil, she sat herself down on one of the chairs a glass of water in her hand. Nibbling from her muffin again she stared at the magazines on the table in front of her. Not paying much attention to the content she flipped through the first until she found herself staring at a picture of herself.

Her pregnant self, right there in front of the building she was currently in. It wasn't just one picture, but multiple. One of her holding Harvey's hand, a few of them just talking and one of him kissing her. Her breath faltering as she took in the description. It didn't mention her by name, but anyone that mattered would recognize her from the pictures. Let alone the fact it read 'secretary of Harvey Specter.'

Too stunned to even notice the water starting to boil she closed the magazine. Her mouth still left slightly agape she tried to wrap her head around what she'd just seen and mostly why? Why there were pictures of them in one of those weekly nonsense magazines.

But then she remembered the 'most eligible bachelor' article Rachel showed her a couple of days ago. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she pushed the magazine aside. Her breath faltering again, the glass slipped from her hand and shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the floor when she found herself staring at a far more confronting headline on that day's Financial Times.

' _ **Harvey Specter's secretary calls on her spousal privilege rights in law suit against NYC's best closer.'**_


	36. Chapter 36 - Hartford

**Hi Everyone! First of all, thank you for all the reviews and follows and favs! And I just have to say I love that people are still starting this fic even though it's so long already. So THANK YOU! Really! Also if you thought the last chapter was long, oops.. this one is even longer. (that's what she said), but unlike the trip chapter I couldn't really split it in two.. so uhm, there's a M-rated part in this :) maybe even more than one (depends on how much detail you consider to be M)..** **I BLAME IT ALL ON KORSH.. Let's hope for a good mid-season finale tomorrow.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, I'd love to read your reviews! xx**

* * *

 **Chapter 36 - Hartford**

" _Nooo," she laughed letting herself fall on the couch next to her younger sister Rose, "he's.. he's arrogant but in a way that it's almost charming," Donna clarified as she pulled her legs up, ignoring the frown and questioning face of her older sister._

" _I don't know how to explain it, okay," she reasoned, her eyes searching for those of her mother, silently begging her for help, knowing all too well that she shouldn't need to. She was always the one that was able to figure things out, read everyone around her. "And he's pretty funny."_

" _Pretty? Or funny?" Alice smirked making Donna's eyes widen a bit, already regretting bringing up the subject all together. She should have remembered that this was what their girls weekends were like. Maybe deep down, that too was a part of why she moved away. "Apple's in looooove," Rose beamed before she could answer, the youngest Paulsen woman almost clapping her hands from excitement._

 _Donna shook her head, denying the statement. "No, I'm not in love," she answered defensively, her own sentence loosing strength as she looked down at the end of it. Her mother's eyes met hers. "But you could fall for him?" Martha spoke. She was after all the one Donna got her gift from._

 _She didn't even realised she did, but her head slowly moved up and down in a nod. "What's the problem then?" Martha asked now, her hand reaching for the arm of her daughter who looked up with something that should resemble a smile on her lips. "He's a.. ladies' man, sleeps around a lot and.. " she shook her head, "he's my boss," she added, a small laugh escaping her lips as she realised how cliché this must sound. "I mean.. maybe.. if we wouldn't have worked together."_

.

Her head popped up as she felt the water droplets hit her legs, the sound of the glass shattering making her shake her head. Her mouth still left agape she took a step back, her hand automatically reaching for her stomach. Confused she looked at the piece of paper in front of her again.

' _ **Harvey Specter's secretary calls on her spousal privilege rights in law suit against NYC's best closer.'**_

The words still the same but now almost making her feel nauseous, her shaking hand pushing the paper out of her sight first before she reached for it again. As fast as her body allowed her, she rushed herself back to his office.

Ignoring the phone ringing in her purse, she pushed the glass door to his office open with her free hand. "What the hell is this?" she spoke as she barged to his desk. Dropping the paper in front of him, his head popping up at the tone of her voice. Immediately realising what was wrong when he spotted the newspaper.

"Donna, I .." he pushed himself up from his chair, his eyes locking with hers and he could almost feel the anger burning inside her. "I said I wanted to help," she fired at him before he got the chance to explain himself. "I know what you said, but –"

"But what?" she shook her head, biting her lip as she felt the tears welling up again. Not wanting to cry, she looked away. "Donna," he sighed, his shoulders dropping as he walked around his desk, his hands in the air really to pull her into a hug when her phone buzzed again.

"Wait," she raised her hand stopping him, both annoyed by her phone that kept buzzing and the fact that he thought just hugging would make things okay. She demonstratively opened her Hermes bag in front of him, reaching for her phone she felt another wave of nausea hit her when she read the message from her older sister.

" _ **You are MARRIED?! "**_

"Ooh shit," she mumbled still staring at her screen. "Ooh no, ooh god." Her words and the panicking look on her face making him even more concerned. "What is wrong?" he asked his hand now reaching for her upper arm, but she pushed it away. Pointing at the newspaper once more. "That's wrong," she fired back, "my sister just .."

She paused taking a breath as she brought her hand to her head. "My parents. What if, " she mumbled stepping back, slowly starting to pace up and down his office. "My parents," she mumbled again as he stepped closer. "Donna," he tried to calm her down but all she did was shake her head as she looked at him.

"I need to go over there," she backed away from him, her hand bringing the handles of her brown leather bag over her shoulder again. "Don, please," he crooked his head following her as she moved to the door, but she continued shaking her head. "I'm coming with you," he stated as he followed her towards the elevators.

"No," she spoke her hand on his chest as she turned to face her. "Yes I am," he argued, his hand reaching for the button of the elevator, but the elevator left from them opened before he could do so. His head turning to the left he saw Sean Cahill stepping onto the fiftieth floor.

"Harvey," the blonde man spoke immediately. "Sean wait," he raised his hand as he looked in Donna's direction again only to notice the empty spot beside him. His eyes just meeting hers as she stepped into the elevator. Her head shaking again, he could read her lips mumbling a "no you're not."

His hand falling flat against the partition Cahill frowningly looked into his direction. "Everything okay?" the other lawyer asked as Harvey sighed. "No," he answered, "Sean I'm sorry, but I can't. Not now," he answered his hand already reaching for the button of the elevator again.

"Harvey," Sean replied, "I'm sorry but it has to be now."

.

 _A frown appeared on her face as she spotted her father sitting in her mother's living room. Her arms falling around her mother's neck, the latter already answering Donna's unpronounced question. "Your dad stopped by to pick up some old books and when I told you were coming over he wanted to stay so he could say hi to our New Yorker too," she smiled placing a kiss on the redhead's cheek._

" _Hi mom," she smiled pulling back, her eyes already directed on her father as she watched James walking towards her. "Hi dad," she greeted her father, pulling him into a hug as well. "Hey honey," he smiled his hands resting on her shoulders for a few seconds before he let go._

" _Everything okay?" he asked as he stared into her eyes briefly, but she nodded her head breaking the eye contact. "Yes I'm fine," she answered as she turned around him, taking place at the table where he'd just been seated. James reached for his stuff, knowing it wasn't really his place to stay here. But there was one more thing he needed to ask, his ex-wife just having told him their daughter had quit her job at the District Attorney's office. "Have you found a new job yet?"_

 _Donna swallowed looking up at her father. "Yes," she answered a small smile on her lips, "moved to a law firm called Pearson Hardman," she explained and her father smiled. "That's great, honey," he answered placing a kiss on top of her head, before he left the Paulsen women alone._

 _Martha turned to face her daughter, the name of the firm she just heard not matching either one she had her daughter mention before. "How did that happen?" Martha asked and Donna pressed her lips together in a small smile._

" _Harvey," she started, "he uhm… he asked me to follow him," she added, looking down as her smile slowly faded. Something that didn't go unnoticed to the older woman who crooked her head. Her hand covering that of her daughter, a small understanding smile on her lips._

.

"And that should do it," Sean commented a half hour later as he pushed the papers over the glass desk. Harvey lifted them up, briefly scanning the documents a smile appeared on his face. "Thank you, Sean," he commented standing up as he extended his hand. "No problem, Harvey," Cahill shook his hand, "glad we can take that bastard down again."

Harvey grinned, nodding as he walked around his desk, his phone in his hand as he took the same elevator down. Her name already visible on his display he waited till Sean had left the building before he called her. "Donna," he sighed as her phone went straight to voice mail. Calling her again he made his way outside, realising he'd forgotten to call Ray he started walking home instead of waiting for a cab.

He rushed his way back to the parking garage when he found their place empty. He tried to come up with a plan. He knew she said she was going to see her parents, he also realised that that's probably where Ray had gone, but he needed to be absolutely sure she wasn't in the city anymore before he'd make the two hour trip himself and possibly miss her coming home.

He texted her when he made sure she wasn't in her old apartment either, letting her know he was coming over even though she had said she didn't want him to do so. Making his way back to his Mustang he scrolled through his contact list, his thumb hovering above her parent's landline number. Letting out a sigh because he knew what it was like to get in an argument with her father and that wasn't about something as big as this would be.

Leaning against the door of his car, the phone pressed against his ear he studied the entrance of what used to be her apartment building. All the other times he'd waited there coming to mind, mostly after they'd gotten into a fight. When he needed to apologize or wanted to get her back, but it had always been about something relatively minor compared to this. And she'd always been there, but not this time.

He sighed, his eyes closing as he now also got the voicemail of her parents. Leaving a message, he walked back around his car. Now even texting her older sister that lived closest to her parents, asking if she was there. He just needed to know if she was okay.

.

She thanked Ray before she got out of the car, a two hour drive upstate not part of his job description, but he was happy to assist when the redhead asked. She waved once more, taking a mental note to make sure the man got a raise. She let out a breath as she found herself staring at the green wooden door.

She rang the bell and the expression she found on her sister's face exactly matching what she'd pictured for the past two hours. Not even anger or annoyance, but pure disbelief. She'd always been the wilder one of the bunch, the one that wanted to act. The one that ran off to the Big Apple and never returned. She'd seen many looks on her sister's face, but never one quite like the one she got now.

"Is it true?" Alice asked as she stepped aside, helping her pregnant sister inside the house. Donna let out a sigh, looking over her shoulder into the hazel eyes of her sister. "Do mom and dad know?" Donna asked instead of answering, "did they see the newspapers?" she added.

"They're not home," Alice answered as they walked over to the living room. "They're not?" Donna wondered out loud as she sat herself down, wondering why she didn't know this. But then again she had been absent-minded lately. "They're on that cruise mom always wanted to do," Alice clarified as she placed something to drink on the coffee table, "I told you two weeks ago."

"Hhhm," Donna mumbled, "must have forgotten," she added letting her hand run over her stomach as the baby kept kicking around. Alice chuckled, seeing the redhead look at her baby bump and she immediately knew why the one that always knew everything for once didn't. She'd been there before herself, two times already.

"Is the baby moving?" Alice asked then, her hand remaining in the air as she waited for Donna to look at her. "Yes," the younger redhead smiled, her hand reaching for that of her sister before she placed it on top of her stomach. "Can you feel that?" she asked with a smile.

"Strong kick," Alice laughed as she smiled at her sister. "I'm sorry I wasn't really there for you with Ella and Rosa," she whispered looking down. "You've told me so much and. .I .. I never .. I couldn't do that for you," she added.

Alice laughed out loud, shaking her head. "Finally something I know more about than you," she teased her. "Apple, it's okay.. I mean it's not like you could know back then," Alice responded, "besides you were far too busy working for your …"

"You can say the word," Donna added with a chuckle. "So it is true," Alice answered, "you're married." Donna let out a sigh, slowly nodding her head before she looked up to her sister again. "Please don't tell mom and dad," Donna begged, "or Thomas and Rose. Please.. "

"Don, you're married." Alice frowned, her head crooked as she let out a sigh. "I know," Donna mumbled, "But I can't possibly tell them I married him for a freaking apartment," Donna blurted out then. "You .. You did what? When?" Alice asked.

"Nine and a half years ago."

Alice mouth dropped even further. "Nine years..," she repeated mumbling, "you've been married for nine years? You've been with him all this time and never said a thing?" the older redhead shook her head, still trying to make sense out of what she just heard.

Donna sighed, deciding there and then it was time to tell her the entire situation. Not just of how they got married, but everything. Her being the one that made them work together, the other time. Her rule. The trip to Italy, the apartment hunt turned wedding. How she even found out, therapy and how they were now together.

Alice sighed shaking her head, but knowing that deep down this was what her sister had always wanted. It might not have come in the most conventional ways, but it was a type of love that consumed her. "You must have really loved him," she commented and Donna pressed her lips in a small smile. "I did.. I do," she answered nodding, "please don't tell them. This will all blow over before they even get back from their holiday."

.

Donna pressed her hands down on the couch as she tried to lift her body up. Alice's arm sliding around the younger redhead's back she helped her up. "I'm going over to mom and dad's," Donna spoke before Alice had a chance to ask questions.

"But they're not home," the older sister commented with a small frown. "I know," Donna smiled, "just going to make sure that newspaper is nowhere to be found when they come back tomorrow evening," she added as explanation.

Alice laughed, rolling her eyes. "So you're really not going to tell them?" she asked again. "No," Donna shook her head, "not yet anyway. You know how difficult dad can be and .." she paused for a second, "I'm not entirely sure he's forgiven Harvey for not helping him with that investment thing seven years ago." Alice shook her head. "I'm sure he has, Donna. Dad adores you and he knows how much you love Harvey."

Donna smiled brightly. "I know, but I'm still going to get that paper," she laughed, she'd always been the stubborn one. "Do you want me to drive you there?" Alice asked as they walked to the front door. "It's two blocks," Donna shook her head, "I think I can manage to walk."

"Are you going to stay there?" Alice asked, making Donna stop on the porch. "What? Why?" she mumbled unsure. "App, you're six and a half months pregnant," Alice pointed at her baby bump again. "You can't make two of those long trips after each other," Alice reasoned.

"Here," Alice continued removing the key to their parent's house from her keychain. "At least stay there for a while to relax alright," Alice pushed, making Donna nod. "Fine," she agreed, giving her sister a hug before she stepped outside.

"In that case I might come back later this afternoon," Donna continued, "when Ella and Rosa are back from school," she added and Alice smiled, nodding. Waving at the younger sister as she walked away she reached for her phone again. Texting the lawyer once more, but this time she could actually answer his questions.

.

He exited the 91, following the directions to the destination he had in mind, but just got confirmed by a message from Alice. The moment he'd read the message a weight lifted from his shoulders, she was okay and he knew where she was. But he still needed to see her. In person. Tell her how sorry he was, but mostly how much he loved her.

Turning right he drove to the house he'd only been a few times. Three to be exact. The first time only months after they'd been on the business trip to Italy, she'd gone to her father to stay with him during the holidays and he'd showed up unannounced to get her back to work. There'd been a crisis and he'd needed her.

The second time was when her parents got re-married. It wasn't a big party, just a dinner, but Donna had been dating someone before. A banker probably, he didn't remember the guy's name. But it was a douche in his book anyway. She'd dumped him just a week before and he now knows it was just a trick. Those tears, but he'd joined her because she didn't want to be the only single Paulsen woman when the other redheads were either engaged or even had a kid.

He'd done anything for her anyway, but he had his doubts about the whole thing. Even if it was just his way of teasing her, of making her beg for his help. Something she rarely did. She eventually managed to convince him when she said it wouldn't be weird. Her brother also just bringing his best friend from collage to the party, Julie. Imagine not just his shock, but Donna's when the woman told them they were moving in together.

The third time was just a couple of weeks ago. When he came to talk to her father after the whole, 'why aren't you two married'- debacle, and him needing advice on how to ask Donna to move him with him. He hadn't been able to truthfully answer that first question of the older man and now, now they must have heard one way or the other. Read it in the papers themselves, his voicemail message or Donna told them. Something he didn't want her to do alone, it was his request all those years ago after all.

Pulling up next to the red brick house, he noticed how the car wasn't outside. He wondered what that could mean, but then again it could have easily still be inside the garage. He let out one last breath, before he made his way out of the car and over to the brightly blue coloured door.

Sighing once more he lifted his hand, ringing the bell he prepared himself for the anger of her parents, but mostly her father. He could hear the locks turning on the other side of the door. His hands buried in his pockets he looked down one last time. The creaking sound of the wooden door, making him lift his head again. His eyes instantly locked with hers, he could hear her phone dropping from her hand, but neither of them acted on it.

It wasn't him and it wasn't her either, but simultaneously he stepped forward as she let her arms slip around his neck. Her baby bump pressing against his stomach, he held her close. Her lips brushed against his. A few hastily kisses soon replaced by a more urgent and deeper one.

Her tongue teasingly against his lips, he pushed them forward, closing the door behind him. They both fell back against it, laughing, consumed by the other. Her hands moved to his tie, she undid the knot, their lips still locked. Moving his hands to her cheeks, he held her head as he pulled back the slightest. Her fingers brushing against the skin of his collar bone. "Donna," he tried to catch his breath, "y.. Your p.. parents."

"Not. Home," she mumbled in between kisses as she let her hands slip over the lapels of his suit jacket. Undoing the two buttons, she tried to push the piece of fabric over his shoulders, as both of them stumbled through the hall way.

"What?" he breathed pulling back once more, his hand firmly holding onto her waist as she bumped into a cabinet next to the stairs. She studied the confused expression on his face, letting out a laugh as she kissed him again. "They're not home," she whispered, the pace in which she was unbuttoning his shirt increasing.

"Donna.." he mumbled, trying to use her name as a protest of what was happening. Not the what but the where. Her hands moved to his shoulders, her nails scraping his skin. "I. Don't. Care," she breathed, her lips on his again. "I. Want. You. Now."

It were four words that worked every single time. He knew it and she knew it, his hands immediately moving over her sides he lifted her up. Placing her on top of the antique cabinet, one hand moving to her back. Cursing himself when he struggled with the hidden zipper, after all these times he should have learned she chose those dresses on purpose. His other hand pushing her dress up as he stood between her legs.

"So.." he frowned, he hated it when his mind was occupied with other thoughts, especially when it was related to him screwing things up. "They don't know," he mumbled his question, his thumb moving over her hip. She shook her head, her hand fighting his as she couldn't be bothered with him removing her dress. "They don't," she whispered in his ear as her one free hand traced the edge of his pants.

Her eyes closed, her nails scraping over the rosewood cabinet. Biting her lip before his name rolled of her tongue in a gulp, when his fingers hooked under her panties. A smirk appeared on his face as he studied her, knowing all too well she would make him pay for it in a few seconds.

"That means they.." his own breath faltered as she undid his belt. "Could you stop talking about my parents," she ordered mumbling, as she pulled him closer. Kissing him again as she tried to pull his pants down with her toes, her left hand disappearing in his boxers for as good as her bump allowed her from this position.

He groaned, his lips warm in her neck. Leaving small bites on her skin caused by the tortuously slow movements of her hand. She kissed his jaw, her right hand slipping through his hair at the back of his neck until she tried to lift herself up ever so slightly. Allowing him to pull down her red lace underwear.

He briefly opened his eyes, wanting to see her. His gaze landing on the phone next to her auburn locks. "Fuck," he mumbled, louder than intended as she pulled back to look at him. Her left hand now on his chest. "What?" she frowned, trying to clear her mind on what caused him to say that. "Phone," he mumbled, his hands still moving over her thighs.

Her head crooked to the left for the briefest of moments, her gaze falling on her phone on the ground. "Never. Mind," she whispered in his ear, her lips placing kisses down his jaw. "I'll. Pick. It. Up. Later," she added in between kisses, her hands moving over his chest.

"That's," he tried to move away a bit, "Not. What. I. Meant," he moaned on her lips, kissing her again. Her eyes closing once more as she gave in, before she wondered yet again what was going on. "What?" she mumbled, her head shaking. Her hands on his shoulders she pushed herself back a little. Her eyes finally locked with his again.

He let out a breath. "I called your parents," he answered, nodding his head in the direction of the phone behind her. "Told them what happened," he added as he could see the dots connecting in her mind, her frown disappearing, only to make her eyes widen. "Tried to explain us."

"Us," she repeated a laugh escaping her lips as she looked at him. Her mind already going over the possibilities, maybe not even sure how she would explain them. "I need to hear that," she answered, curiosity getting the better of her, she pressed the 'voice mail' button with her right hand.

"Really?" he mumbled, pulling her closer as she laughed, nodding. Her arms fell back around his neck, pressing her lips against his in a brief kiss, before she let her head rest against his. Both of them listening to his words in the background. She giggled, "you didn't say that."

"You just heard me say it," he argued and she smiled as his voice in the background continued explaining how much he loved her. "Harvey," she whispered, looking into his deep chocolate brown eyes, "take me upstairs."

.

He pressed his lips against her temple, letting his fingers run through her auburn locks. "I'm sorry about the newspaper," he whispered, his right hand drawing lazy patterns on her stomach. "That's not your fault," she whispered, turning her head to look at him.

He nodded before he shook his head. "I never should have made that decision for you," he admitted, looking down. "I'm sorry.. I just wanted to protect you." His hand moving over her stomach to cover hers. "I know," she whispered, letting her head rest on his chest. "What did Cahill want?" she asked.

"He came to tell me that they those accounts are indeed Forstman's doing," Harvey started, his fingers moving over her knuckles. Slowly letting his fingers slip between hers. "And that Nick isn't the only one who received monthly deposits." She nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Cameron," Harvey continued, "he's probably doing this to protect his brother, who's in there with Frank Gallo, that psychopath."

"And how do you plan on stopping him, them?" Donna asked, her eyes locking with his again. "We're going to try and let Cameron's brother wear a wire, hoping we'll catch either or both of them talking about this," he answered. "In the mean time we asked for the trial to be postponed. Nothing to really worry about," he squeezed her hand, smiling at her.

"So," he whispered, leaning on his left elbow as he admired her. "So," she repeated in the same tone, a smirk appearing on her lips as she just looked at him. "This," he mumbled, looking around a bit, "is your childhood bedroom," he added, biting his lip.

"What?" she smiled, questioning his expression. "Nothing, I just.. " he mumbled, looking over his shoulder one more time before he hovered above her. She squirmed under him, her hands on his shoulders. She didn't need to look already knowing what he meant. "I was a theatre geek okay," she laughed looking away.

He bit his lip, his knee brushing against hers, he brought his hand to her face. Removing the red locks from her eyes, he let his fingers rest under her chin. Slowly turning her head to make her face him, he moved closer. Kissing her again. "I know," he whispered on her lips, "but this isn't even the poster of the musical. It's the movie one."

She laughed. "Ooh so now you're complaining about the posters I put up?" she challenged him, his mouth dropping slightly but he didn't answer, her hands moving to his hair. Letting her fingers slip through it, she made a curl in the front. "What can I say," she teased him, "he looked hot."

"Pff," Harvey scoffed to her amusement. "I'm far better looking," he countered, a smirk appearing on his face as he saw her bite her lip. Not wanting to give in, but he knew she thought so too. "I didn't know you back then," she defended herself. "Besides I was like fourteen when I put that thing up, he was my first celebrity cru –" The rest of her sentence left unspoken as he pressed his lips against hers. "Shut up," he mumbled jokingly as he kissed her again. "He is way too old for you anyway."

.

He walked through the hallway, the four redhead women surrounding him, but he only had eyes for her. His redhead, in that beautiful white summer dress. "You ready?" he asked the moment his eyes locked with hers. "Yes," she smiled, hugging her sister goodbye as the latter reached for the door again. "Ooh.. Wait.." she mumbled, turning around as she made her way through the crowd. "Got to pee," she pushed her brown leather bag in his hands as she rushed her way to the bathroom.

Harvey laughed, his head turning to Alice when he heard her sister laugh too. "Get used to it," the older redhead commented as she nodded her head in the direction of her daughters. He smiled, looking at the little girls hanging around their mother's legs. "Can't wait," he answered truthfully, his hand moving over the five year old's head.

Donna walked back, lingering in the doorway she studied the way her sister and the love of her life were talking. The way her nieces hung around him, she'd always known he was good with kids. He didn't see Marcus kids often, but when he did the kids always seemed to love him and even with her own nieces it was no different.

Her hand moving over her stomach, she could only hope it would be the same with their own kid. She stepped closer, her hand reaching for the purse he was holding for her. "You two will be great parents," Alice told them with a smile. Harvey's hand reached for Donna's as he looked at her again. "This one will be amazing," he spoke his eyes still directed on his redhead.

Saying their goodbye's once more, she hung her bag over her right shoulder as they stepped outside. His right hand untangling from hers, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they strolled over the sidewalk. "What?" she challenged him as he pulled her closer, her eyes searching for his as she looked to the left. "Just thinking about how beautiful you are."

"What do you want to do?" he asked a few minutes later, breaking the comfortable silence between them. "Go home?" he added for clarification as they neared her parent's house again. She thought about it for a second before she shook her head. "It's Friday Night. We might as well stay here," she answered searching for the key. "My parents won't be back till tomorrow late afternoon anyway."

He chuckled softly, mumbling an "okay," as he kissed the top of her head.

.

She walked down the stairs in his boxers. Pulling his dress shirt over her shoulders she buttoned the shirt up as much as possible, before she set foot in the hallway again. Her hand moving over the cabinet, she smirked as she reminisced the day before.

Tying her hair into a lazy bun she made her way to the kitchen. Turning on the coffee machine, she searched through the cabinets for something that resembled food. Pulling out a pack of cereal, she looked in the freezer finding a bread. "Harv," she tiptoed her way back to the hall way, calling for him. "Do you want corn flakes or toast?" she asked waiting for a few seconds, realising he was probably still under the shower.

He frowned as he thought he heard his name being called. He moved his head out of the shower. "Donna?" he mumbled wondering what was going on, but as an answer lacked he moved back under the shower. "Harvey," she called again. Letting out a sigh when he didn't respond again. She made her way back, mumbling a "I'll just make some toast," to herself as she pulled out the toaster oven, putting two slices of bread in it.

Grabbing some plates and finishing of Harvey's coffee with a hint of vanilla, her head popped up in shock as she heard a clink. Her gaze immediately landing on the toaster oven a frown appearing on her face when the machine wasn't finished yet.

"Donna?" she heard her name being pronounced in a familiar voice, she turned around further on her heels. Her mouth dropping as she found herself staring into the hazel eyes. "M.. mom?!" she nearly exclaimed as she saw the woman standing in the middle of the hallway. The purse of the older woman nearly dropping from her hand.

Quickly wiping the towel over his face and upper body, he wrapped the piece of fabric around his waist. Stepping back into Donna's old bedroom he shook his head when he realised Donna must have put on his clothes just now. Moving his hand through his wet hair, he remembered that he thought she'd called for him.

"You.. you're home .. uhm early," Donna mumbled as she slowly walked towards Martha, "where uhm.. is dad?" she added, feeling her cheeks turn red as she remembered her own outfit didn't leave much room for interpretation. "Donna," Harvey called for her as he made his way down the stairs, abruptly coming to a halt as he spotted not one but two redheads with hazel eyes staring up at him.

"Ooh god," he mumbled, his eyes widening as he had to hold onto the banister to stop himself from falling down. "I.. uh…" he stuttered his gaze focussing on Donna who's expression mirrored his own. "I.. uhm.. am .." he pointed back up the stairs, not even finishing his sentence as he climbed the stairs with two steps at a time now.

Donna slowly turned to face her mother again, unsure of what to say. "Welcome home?" she mumbled, trying to throw a smile in her answer as her mother laughed loudly. Donna found herself freezing up for a second when her mother pulled her into a hug. "Hi mom," she whispered then, as Martha kissed her on her cheek.

"Now I get why you waited all those years," Martha teased the younger redhead as she stepped aside, leaving Donna there with her eyes still wide. "Your dad was collecting our bags," her mother told her, squeezing her hand, making Donna come back to her senses. "Yeah .. I uhm..," she pointed to the stairs, eventually following Harvey.

She closed the door behind her, a laugh escaping her lips as she saw him pace through the room in just a towel. They really were quite the pair. "Donna," he turned to face her the second he heard the door fall shut. "You.. Your parents are here," he mumbled pointing at the door, bringing his hand through his hair. "Your mom pretty much saw me naked," he added.

"You're wearing a towel," she crooked her head stepping closer to him. "They know we had sex," he reasoned, his worrying tone making her laugh. He frowned looking at her. "Harv," she reached for his hand, placing it on her baby bump, "I'm pregnant," she reasoned, her hands ran over his arms. "Now you're pretty magical, but not that magical. They know how this," she nodded at her own stomach, "happened."

He sighed, looking at her with those puppy eyes. "That's not –" He swallowed in the remaining words as she pushed him down on the bed. "I'm happy to remind you how it happened," she smirked her eyes locking with his, as he struggled leaning on his elbows.

"Donna, your parents," he mumbled in protest. "What about my parents?" she challenged him, letting her hands move over the edge of his shirt. Quickly undoing the buttons, she dropped his shirt on the floor. Biting her lip she stepped between his legs.

"Are you serious?" he swallowed, his gaze briefly dropping before his eyes locked with hers again. She nodded, moving closer. Her hands resting on his shoulders. "Very serious," she whispered as she sat down on his lap.

.

She looked at him in the reflection of the mirror, a smile appearing on her lips as she applied her make up. His hands on her back, he pulled up the zipper. "Harvey," she whispered closing her eyes as he briefly kissed her on her shoulder. He whispered how she should wear her hair down as his fingers moved over the mark he left behind the day before.

She rolled her eyes, removing the towel from her head, she moved it to his. Her hands slipping through his hair, she removed the remainder of droplets. "I got to call Alice," she whispered on his lips as she tossed the towel on the sink. He frowned, but decided not to question her words. They really needed to make their way down stairs soon.

She let herself fall down on the edge of her bed. Her phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder, she brushed her hair as she looked at him. Biting her own lip when she got another glimpse of his torso, she patiently waited for her sister to answer.

"Donna, is everything okay?" she heard Alice's voice greet her. She sighed, looking away from him as she reached for her phone, changing it to her other ear. "I need you to come over now, "she mumbled hastily, as she searched through her bag for her lipstick.

"What? Why?"

"Because you said mom and dad wouldn't be home till later this afternoon," Donna hissed as she simultaneously painted her lips in her signature colour. "And they might have come home a little too early," she added, "if you know what I mean."

She heard her sister laugh. "It's not funny," she reasoned pushing her bag away as she started looking for her flats. "Alice, I'm serious," she paused for a second, looking in his direction again. "I don't know what's happening. I can't even look at him without… " she turned around again, pacing through her room. "Please. If I got to be here with mom and dad for a while, I need you all here."

.

She adjusted the pillows in her back as she wiggled on the couch. She tried to focus on the conversation her father and Harvey were having, but he was just too close. The smell of his cologne intoxicating her and the warmth radiating through her body as his shoulder brushed against hers made her swallow.

Crossing her legs, she leaned forward slightly. Nodding she pretended to follow whatever the two most important men in her life were talking about, but all she could hope for was her sister showing up as promised.

"Right?" Harvey looked in her direction, placing his hand on her knee. Her eyes widened in the process, her own hand gripping onto his leg. Her nails digging into his skin harder than intended, even through the layer of fabric. "Yep," she replied popping the 'p' as she tried to look out of the window behind her father.

"Ooh look at that," she beamed, pushing herself up. "Alice and Jasper are here," she added as she tried to make her way to the door. Her sudden movement making the others frown, Harvey turned to face James again. "So, yeah.. The room for the baby is almost done, we just need to get some blankets and clothes."

Donna hastily opened the door, smiling at the two little girls she kissed her brother law on the cheek before she pulled Alice inside. "That took you long enough," she mumbled her eyes still wide as Alice sighed. "Thought I'd give you some time," she answered matter-of-factly, "in case you needed to finish something," Alice added, her eyebrow raised she stared at Donna with one of those looks Donna gave Harvey from time to time.

"Hilarious," Donna answered through her teeth before a chuckle escaped her own lips. She should have known this was the way Paulsen women communicated to one another. "That was already taken care of," she mumbled then and Alice rolled her eyes as both redheads followed the other's into the living room.

She linked her arm around her sister's. "I do need to talk to you about something," she nodded her head in the direction of the dining room, her feet already carrying her in that direction. "Mom, dad, Harvey," Alice waved as she followed Donna who was already half way to the adjoining room.

"Okay," Alice started as she closed the door behind her. "What's the problem?" she asked as she sat herself down at the table. "I.. " Donna mumbled, pacing through the room. "I'm so.. " she turned around again. "I can't .. I can't even look at him without .."

Alice raised her eyebrows, throwing a questioning face in her sister's direction, but she knew all too well what Donna meant. What she was experiencing, it was just fun making her sweat a little. It's what Donna always did to them. Asking them the questions, demanding details without ever fully sharing herself. "Without what?" Alice countered smirking. "Sex," Donna breathed sitting down herself, "I can't stop thinking about sex. He just has got to look at me, touch me or even just say something and I – "

"Hormones," Alice commented, with a small understanding smile. "Believe me you're not the first woman this has happened to," she added for comfort. "Not the first woman this happened to, what?" their mother repeated as she joined them in the dining room, leaving both younger redheads speechless for a second.

"What's going on with you two? Sneaking off like this from family gatherings just like when you two were young," Martha shook her head as she walked towards them. A can of cookies in her hand, she offered both of them one. "Apple here," Alice nodded at Donna, "can't stop thinking about sex."

"Alice," Donna hissed her eyes widening as her hand slapped on the table, missing her sister's arm. "It are the hormones," Martha commented as she turned around, reaching for the teapot. "It's different for every woman," Martha continued, poring the two sisters a drink, "but ooh.. when I was pregnant of Rose, your father just had to –"

"Mom!" both sisters exclaimed at the same time, making Martha put the teapot down fiercely. Giving both of them a stern look, all the times she'd been there for both of them. During happiness and heartbreaks. "I just hope it isn't so bad he can't keep up with you," she commented then, her face not giving anything away.

"Hhmf," Donna scoffed, looking away, "that's not the problem. He's very … " she paused for a second thinking about the word she was going to use. "Helpful," she settled, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "It's just .. I didn't think this urge would happen. Again," she explained looking at her stomach. "Not at this stage," she placed her hand on her stomach as she let out a deep breath.

Looking up she stared at two pair hazel eyes that looked at her in understanding. Donna shook her head, laughing at herself. "I almost quit working for him, because I was afraid I'd jump him in the office," she reminisced, "and now I .. I actually did. Twice last week."

Her mom laughed, reaching for her hand in the process. "You'd better enjoy it now, honey," she squeezed Donna's hand, "when the baby's there things will be different for a while." Donna nodded in understanding, briefly looking at Alice who nodded at her as confirmation.

"Now we're talking about you two anyway," Martha continued, her fingers moving over those of her daughter's as she still held onto Donna's hand. "When's he going to propose?" Martha gave her a hopeful look, making Donna swallow. She wasn't planning on tell her mom. "Ooh," she raised her shoulders trying to discard the comment, her free hand moving in the air, before it landed on her stomach.

"Should I talk to him?" Martha offered then, squeezing Donna's hand once more. "Really," she continued, "last time he was here I thought he was going to ask you dad. In fact –"

"Mom, no," Donna interrupted her. "Ooh come on, Donna," Martha crooked her head. "Mom please," Donna begged. "Alice help me," she mouthed looking at her sister, her eyes wide as Alice didn't know what to do either, especially now that their mom got up and made her way back to the door.

"He can't propose to me," she blurted out then. Her words made her mother stop in her tracks, her face faltering she looked back at her two daughters. "Not .. technically," Donna added whispering as she looked away.

"Donna," her mom spoke calmly now as she walked back to both women. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she added, letting her hands rest on the back of the chair she was previously seated. "Uhm," Donna mumbled, "I.. I don't know."

Martha sighed, crooking her head as she studied her daughter. "Donna, is he married?" Martha mumbled then and it was the way Donna swallowed. The way the pregnant redhead's eyes dropped slightly that made her mom realise he was. "He is," Martha mumbled looking down, unsure how to respond to this.

"To me," Donna added then. Giving her mother a small smile. "He's married to me," she repeated.

.

She hugged her mom when they said goodbye. Giving her one more look, her mother winked. "Don't worry honey," she whispered as Donna nodded, walking over to the man that remained oblivious to the whole marriage thing. "Goodbye, dad," she kissed him on the cheek after a hug, before she made her way to her older sister and her family.

"Apple," Alice said her goodbye's to Donna. "Alice," the redhead laughed, as she waved at the kids, when Harvey said his goodbyes. Her hand soon being held by his again, they made their way to the mustang. "Ready?" he asked as he sat down next to her on the driver's seat. "Yeah," she nodded with a smile, she loved her family. She did, she really did, but she was never one for spending too much time with them.

"So," he started as they drove off, his hand landing on her leg once more. "Why does Alice call you apple?" he asked, briefly squeezing her knee to make her look at him. She swallowed, straightening her back as her hand caught his. "If you want me to be able to answer that," she wiggled her fingers between his, "you got to stop touching me like this."

He frowned, looking at her in the rear view mirror as he tried to read her face for an explanation. "Not when I can't do anything about it," she added with a smirk as she tapped his hand. He chuckled, pulling his hand back to the steering wheel. "You're so needy," he teased her, not even having to look to know she rolled her eyes.

"Right. Mr. Harvey 'I need you' Specter," she answered mimicking his voice as she crossed her legs, moving them away from him when his hand moved in between them again. "I was just going to switch gears," he smirked looking at her when she shook her head. His hand then catching hers he heard her sigh. "Just drive home fast, okay?" she mumbled looking out of the window.

"Yes ma'am," he smiled, bringing her hand to his lips. He kissed her knuckles, before he let go of her hand. "So apple?" he asked again, making her laugh. "It's silly," she started, turning to look at him. "But they started calling me that ever since I took off to the Big Apple and never returned, because –"

"Of me?" he threw a look in her direction and she laughed. "Not everything is about you, mister," her hand softly pushing his shoulder. "Isn't it?" He smirked and she rolled her eyes. "Well," she started, "you were part of the reason I never went back, but I fell in love with the city first. And I was so set on making it," she looked down.

"Everyone stayed up here. Alice, Thomas, Rose.. and I," she shook her head, "I was never like them. I had this dream and I needed to follow it. I wanted to act, work on or off Broadway," she started telling and he nodded listening to her, realising there were still so many things to learn about her.

"They always told me to be careful. That it would be hard, after everything with dad. And I knew that, but it started quite well actually. Did auditions and got a small role in 'As you like it.' Audrey," she closed her eyes recalling it. "And it was great, it was.. it really was and they were proud back home. Because I did it, I did what I set myself to do. Something they probably never really believed I would."

He switched lanes, looking at her briefly as she continued talking. "And then there weren't that many auditions anymore," she whispered, "yet bills to pay and I.. I didn't want to give up. I didn't want to go home, because I failed.. No," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"I wouldn't fail," she paused emphasizing the words. "That's what I told them, right before I left. So I got a summer job at the D.A.'s office, which allowed me to do both." She looked at him briefly. "And then the summer job turned into a full time job as the parts I got became less and less," she paused. "And then I met you."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, looking at her and she frowned at the tone he used. "Don't," she shook her head, disagreeing with him. "But you never got to realise your dream, because you were helping me realise mine," he answered and she nodded, understanding where he was coming form. "That's not entirely true though," she countered. "Yes I helped you and yes I never became the actress I pictured myself to be as a kid, but it was still my choice," she reasoned. "I asked if I could work for you," she pointed at him. "And yes I know I said I wanted to become an actress back then and that I didn't want to follow you to the firm. I know I did, and just because I did follow you or didn't pursue my acting career, doesn't mean I'm not proud of what I've done."

"I loved acting," she smiled, "I did, still do. But I chose this, because I knew what it was like to struggle. I knew the odds of someone making it were close to zero, no matter how good they were," she paused, remembering the words she once told to Louis. "So yes instead of pursuing my teenage dream, I chose this and maybe that let me pretend I was good enough to make it," she shook her head as she smiled at him.

"But I still made," she nodded, "It might not have been acting, but I am the best legal secretary of the city. Like you're the best closer New York has ever seen," she smirked and he smiled nodding at her. "You still could," he answered his hand reaching for hers again. She looked down at their hands, letting his fingers slip between hers.

"I don't think that will be an option now, with this one here," she commented, looking back up at him. "Donna," he whispered, his eyes a little watery as he looked at her. "You shouldn't give up on it. Not if you really want that, not because of me or the baby," he answered.

"But I'm not," she shook her head, "Remember how you always talked about your goals and what you said when you reached one?" she whispered looking at him again. He nodded. "Onto the next one," he answered and she nodded repeating his words. "Yes acting was, maybe even is a dream," she started, "but it wasn't the only dream and it doesn't mean my other dreams didn't come true. Of being successful in my chosen profession. Of finding love, having a family."

He looked at her, his eyes filled with pride as she kept talking. "I didn't just stay or come back because of the pay check, or the stability it gave that I lacked in my childhood. Or because it allowed me to live in the fantasy that I could have been a successful actress. Or you giving me those puppy eyes and telling me you need me, but because I needed you too. You and every one at the firm became part of who I am too. I love acting, but I love my job too and besides the memo debacle, I'm damn good at what I do."

"You are," he confirmed, squeezing her hand. "But you were excellent as Portia as well last year," he added with a smile and her eyes slightly widened as she looked at him. "You still remember the role I played?" she mumbled. "Of course," he nodded, "I've seen you in all your plays by the way. Even if you didn't invite me."

She stared at him for a while, not sure if she believed him. "For real," he added as he noticed she wasn't sure about his statement. "And when did I not invite you then?" she challenged him. "When did you invite me?" he countered, his eyes meeting hers in the rear view mirror again.

"I merely stopped asking because you hate theatre," she shot back. "But I love you," he answered, letting his thumb run over the back of her hand. He didn't need to explain for her to know why he showed up, even if she never really saw him there, besides last time, but now that he could say the words, he said them whenever he could.

"Well, in that case," she smirked. "I'll make sure you'll get an invite in a year or two, if I'm starring in something then." He smiled at her. "When," he corrected her.

.

She stared at the signs above the highway, seeing how it was still 85 miles till Manhattan. Tapping her fingers against the door, she looked down at how his hand had miraculously found its way to her thigh again. Swallowing she cursed herself for looking at it, for how his touch still affected her. Especially now.

She looked out of the window. Trying to block that almost ticklish feeling that was starting to formulate between her legs, her mother's words coming back to mind. _"Better enjoy it now."_ Her gaze drifting back to his hand once more before she looked at him again. "I need to pee."

"What?" he asked, his hand lifting from her leg as he brought it back to the steering wheel, his head turning in her direction. "And I'm hungry," she added with a thin smile pointing at her stomach. "Maybe we could make a stop in New Haven," she suggested. "Find a restaurant, have dinner and drive back later?" she added. "Cause I really need to pee," she emphasized again.

"Alright," he answered, turning on the signal as he switched to the right lane. Handing her his phone he asked her to search for a restaurant she liked and a mere fifteen minutes later they pulled up next to the restaurant. A small frown appearing on his face as he reads 'wine bar' under the big illuminated letters, but then again a restaurant would serve more than just wine.

He helped her out of the car, her arm linked around his as they entered the lobby of the hotel the restaurant belonged to. He walked her to hallway on the side. "Why don't you go to the restroom and I'll go and see if they have a table for us," he whispered, letting his arm slip from hers.

She grabbed his hand instead, pulling him towards her as she took another step to the left. "Donna," he mumbled unsure as he followed her. "I don't need food," she whispered turning to face him, her hands on his chest, her lips near his ear. "I need you," she added nibbling on his earlobe.

Her words and actions sending a rush of blood down his body, he had to hold a groan. "God, woman," he mumbled, his voice darker and huskier than just before. He placed his left hand on her waist as he hold her close, his right hand moving to cup her face. He kissed her then. Once. Short, but filled with passion.

He let her go, briefly. Just for her to check if the ladies restroom was empty. She signalled for him to come inside. Her hands on his chest she pushed him against the door. His hand turning the lock as her lips captured his again, her hands removed his jacket in the process. He brought his hand to her hips, letting his hands slide upwards as his lips tucked on hers. His tongue brushing against hers as she deepened the kiss. Her moan muffled against his.

She unbuttoned his shirt even faster than the day before. The palm of her hand radiating against his skin, she could feel his heartbeat starting to increase. His hand cupped her breast, something he didn't do that often anymore because they'd been too painful. Yet today everything seemed different as she moaned his name.

His hips grinding against hers, she could feel the bulge formed in his pants pressing against her thigh. "Harvey," she whispered low, her head thrown back as his lips placed hot wet kisses down her neck until he reached that one spot on the edge of her collarbone. "Harv.." the rest of his name missing as he pressed his lips against hers again, walking both of them over to the sink.

He gently placed her against the marble top of the cabinet, pulling back he stared at her again. His eyes darker like hers, he noticed how her lipstick was already smudged as he brought his thumb to her slightly swollen lips.

They didn't speak, he didn't have to ask, it was all her who initiated this and he was happy to oblige as she removed his belt. Her hand moving over his groin as she undid the zipper, he nearly groaned. Her hand sliding into his boxers, she let her fingers run over his length. Feeling him getting hard under her touch.

Unlike the day before he needed to see all of her. Feel all of her. His hand moving to her hips again, he pulled her closer, her hand still between them he slowly trusted against the palm her hand. His mouth near her ear as he quickly turned her around, her hand freeing his erection from his boxers in the process.

He told her that today, today he would remove that dress. Pulling the small piece of metal down, as he kissed the base of her neck. His tongue sweeping over her delicate porcelain skin, leaving a mark right next to the one of the night before. Claiming her as his again.

He hastily moved the straps of the white dress over her shoulders, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror as the piece of fabric fell to the ground, pooling around her feet. She let her hands rest on the sink in front of her, pressing her back against his chest in the process.

He smirked, his hands caressing her back, his thumbs moving over the dints in the small of her back. The mirror allowing him to see every expression she made caused by his touch. His left hand moving up, slipping under her bra he flickered her nipple between his fingers. His right hand moved over her baby bump, until it slid inside her red lace panties.

His fingers brushed through her wet folds as he let his tongue trace the curve of her neck again till he reached her ear. "You're lucky I know a good lawyer, in case we get caught," he spoke on the rhythm his thumb moved over her clit, burying two fingers inside her. She gulped at his actions, her knees trembling she bumped backwards against his hard on. "We. Won't. Get. Caught. If. You. Hur..Hurry," she countered letting her hips roll against him, by every movement his hand made between her legs.

She lowered her arms, letting her elbows rest on the counter. She looked up in the mirror, taking in his expression. The concentration spread across his face. Being able to read every little wrinkle around his eyes. The way he bit his trembling lip as she grinded against him. "Har..vey," she begged, the way her voice missed a beat showing him that no matter how much pleasure he was giving her, she wanted him. All of him.

Taking her change in position as his cue, a small gulp escaping her lips as he withdrew his fingers from her. He brought both his hands back to her hips, pulling down her soaking wet panties, his wood pressed against her. Bending forward he slowly but deeply moved himself inside her, burying his head in the crook of her neck, her perfume making him feel lightheaded.

Her body moving forward by his thrust, her breasts came in contact with the cold marble counter top. The odd but welcome sensation on her nipples turning her on even more as he picked up the pace. Panting he thrusted inside her on a quick but steady pace.

Rapidly drawing abstract patterns, he moved his right hand over her thigh and back between her legs. The slow circular movements of his fingers stimulating her even more. Her body froze for a second, her eyes closing as she bit her lip to stop herself from screaming his name.

Finding herself pushing her body further back up as he drove inside her, she hastily turned on the tab of the sink, a loud moan escaping her lips as soon as the sound of the flowing water echoed through the room.

"Resourceful," he kissed her jaw with a smirk.

"I know," she mumbled, looking over her shoulder as he kissed her deeply. Thrusting again, he felt her walls spams around him, her sex throbbing against his thumb. Seeing the look of pure ecstasy forming on her face as he kissed the base of her neck ferociously.

His thumb continuing faster circular movements until an "ooh God, Harveeey ," rolled of her tongue in a scream. Her voice and the near breathless shakes of her body as she let herself completely go, pulled himself over the edge. "Fuck Donna," he growled as his chest collapsed against her back.

His lips softly sucking on her skin as his left hand moved over her body. His hand cupping her breast again he held her close when he slowly pulled himself back. His right hand making sure a second wave of bliss rolled over her a few seconds later.

Her mouth dropped, unable to speak she let her head rest against his chest. Her body resting against his, he turned them around. A thoroughly spend Donna in the embrace of his arms, she whispered a thank you in the form of a lazy kiss on his lips.

He smirked, moving his right hand to her face he removed her auburn locks from her face. "Anytime," he kissed her cheek as he pulled his boxers back up. "Do you still want to grab dinner," he whispered as he helped her back in her dress. "No," she shook her head as her eyes locked with his in the mirror. "Let's go home," she smiled.

.

Harvey threw the carton boxes of the shitty Thai places she loves in the trash. Washing his hands, he looked up in her direction. Seeing her slowly move from the couch to the baby room he smiled, he hadn't even been able to tell her about the surprise yet.

He let the towel drop on the counter as he walked towards her. Following her inside the room, he wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her towards him. "Like it," he mumbled as he noticed her taking in the wallpaper with water coloured cactuses on it.

It's not really what they'd planned on, but he'd seen it and it made him think of them. "We can still add some blue accents," he whispered. "Or redo it all if you hate it," he offered as she turned around in his arms. A big smile on her lips. "It's beautiful," she answered, still in awe of the white wooden crib and the rocking chair that were already there.

She looked around again, her gaze landing on a picture is a brown Labrador on the wall. A laugh escaping her lips she turned to face him again. "Max?" she asked and he nodded. "Because this all might not have happened if it wasn't for him."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "It might not have happened like this," she spoke her lips brushing against his. "But I'm sure it would have happened," she told him. "We were meant to happen." He grinned, pressing his lips against hers, "I hope you're right cause I wouldn't want to miss all this for the world."

She smiled looking down as she wrapped her hands around his neck. "Please," she shook her head as she thought back to that day. "If Tanner wouldn't have shown up, you might had taken me on the floor of the gym," she teased him and he rolled his eyes. "I don't know about that," he lied, because he had been close to doing exactly that. "I do know," she answered, "I'm Donna."

He laughed, letting go of her briefly as he sat himself down in the rocking chair. Signalling for her to sit down, he wrapped his arms around her as soon as she did. It wasn't something he ever pictured himself doing, but now that he could touch her he always had to do that. Hold her close.

His hand caressed her baby bump. "Only two and half more months," he spoke softly. She nodded, covering his hand with hers. "I can't wait to meet him," she answered, shifting a bit as she buried her head in the crook of his neck.

"Gordon Specter Jr," he mumbled. A hint of sadness visible in his tone, she caressed his cheek. Knowing all too well that it was only week till the anniversary of his father's death. Harvey's hand moved over her stomach, his eyes locking with hers as he spoke.

"He would have loved to meet you, pumpkin."


	37. Chapter 37 - Gordon

**Hi everyone! HOW WAS THAT ENDING! OMG, I'm stil akhfkahfs over it when I see it! As always THANK YOU for the reviews, they make me smile so much.. I LOVE reading them. Dee, the poster I had in mind was one of Grease, because it's an old enough musical that went into revival and you of course have the movie.. But, yeah that was the one I had in mind..**

 **I said it last time, but oooops this chapter is even longer (I'm pretty sure the next won't be though :P).. BUT, I do have to say that this chapter is not 100% new and let me explain WHY. This chapter is for the largest part a flashback chapter (everything in Italic is flashback from pre Donna working for Harvey till when they were in therapy with Agard), and as you can see in the title, you'll know about who this chapter will be.. So in order for you to get an idea when these flashback scenes I came up with happened I tried to write in scenes from the show (5.10 / 3.06 and 2.08).. on top of that I repeated some parts of flashbacks I wrote in earlier chapters, because I'd rather have a long not 100% new chapter than having to add *one year later* or *flashback from chapter 33* etc above each part.. I hope you understand my decision in that and don't worry the biggest part is NEW..**

 **So, I hope you'll like it and as always I'd love to read your reviews. x**

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Gordon**

" _Well, it is official, Harvey," Gordon started as he let his fingers fall around the glass of scotch. "My fingers are way too old," the man laughed, but the sadness was clearly visible in his voice. "Like hell," the young man exclaimed, giving his old man a slap on the shoulder, "you can still outplay anyone."_

 _Gordon laughed, shaking his head before he took a sip of his drink. "You're a terrible liar," he laughed, "but I got to admit, I do love seeing my boy in the crowd." Harvey swallowed, eyeing his drink as he heard his father talk. He hadn't seen him in a while. "Actually, Dad," he started, "there's something I wanted to talk to you about."_

" _I've got something for you too. It's important," his father beat him to it. "The band is splitting up," he confessed. "What?" Harvey asked in surprise. The old man nodded as he raised his shoulders, "Lenny says he wants to spend his golden years with Marge and Dave wrist isn't getting any better so –""_

" _Well, what about Harry?" the young man asked, still trying to figure out why this was happening. "Harry's already got an offer from another group," Gordon answered. "Well, if they'll take him, they'll take you," Harvey added enthusiastically. His father let out another laugh, taking off his glasses. "You're not listening, Harvey," he explained. "I don't want them to take me. I want to come home.""_

" _Dad," Harvey sighed, shaking his head. "Music is your life."_

" _Look, Harvey. I'm the same age your grandfather was when he died and I've already spent way too much of my life away from my family," he answered with an apologetic look. "Don't start that," Harvey shook his head, "You've been ... you're a great father."_

 _Gordon closed his eyes for a second. "Maybe a cool father," Gordon shook his head, the glass of scotch resting in his hand. "But not a great one, Harvey. And I know it's too late to make that up to you… I'm... I'm just hoping it's not too late to make it up to Marcus," the old man tried to explain. "Anyway... that's my news. What... What did you want to talk about?" he asked._

 _Harvey let out breath, thinking of the reason he came to see his father in the first place. "Nothing... it's not important," Harvey mumbled at last, not being able to bring up the news of his mother now. Not after his dad said he wanted to come home, to them. To her. Already seeing how his father wouldn't buy that comment, he added something else. "I met a girl."_

 _Gordon raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Great," Gordon smiled. "What's her name?" he asked, as his son didn't elaborate further. "Scottie," Harvey answered his jaw clenching, as he seemed deep in thought. "I'm just trying to figure out the long distance thing."_

" _All I can tell you there is," Gordon spoke, "if she's the one, you'll know. Just like with me and your mother," Gordon added taking a sip from his glass of scotch. Harvey sighed, looking down._

 _._

 _._

 _His head popped up the second she marched inside his tiny office, her hips swaying from left to right as she closed the door behind her with them and he can't help but let his gaze trace her curves. Over her charcoal coloured pencil skirt and the pink turtleneck top, a combination he remembered her wearing only the second time he met her._

 _His eyes met hers at last. She has this smirk plastered on her lips. Like she knew this top secret she'd learned about and is contemplating on whether or not she's going to share it with him. That's why she bites her lower lip. So much he has learned about her in the six months she has worked for him, but deep down he also knew that he might never get to know everything about the mystery that is called Donna Paulsen._

" _What?" he asked, his lips twitching a little as his head crooked to the left. She stepped closer, handing him the cup of coffee she held in her hands, he could already smell the vanilla. "Congratulations," she added when he took it from her hands._

 _His brows slowly turned into frown, words questioning her statement on the tip of his tongue, but she reads him like a book and is way faster. "With your father's birthday," she explained smugly. He nodded his form of a thank you as the only thing he was able to mumble was, "how?"_

 _She rolled her eyes, a chuckle almost escaping her lips. It's a game, one in which she's near the finish line and he's still reading the guidelines. "I'm Donna," she answered, "I know." He kept staring at her, slowly bringing the cup of coffee to his lips, he questioned her statement._

 _She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile at his still flustered face as she walked around his desk. "Your calendar, smart ass," she spoke tapping her hand against the object on his desk as she leaned against it. He closed his eyes, almost chuckling as he shook his head. The cup of coffee landing on the table as he stood up._

 _He froze then, his jaw clenching as he swallowed. Her hand brushing against his chest, he could see the slightest hint of amusement in her eyes knowing she caught him off guard. Her other hand slipped to his tie too. "Can't let you go to your father looking like that," she smirked as she fixed his tie. Her fingers brushing against his skin as she folded the collar of his dress shirt back._

" _Who says I'm going to meet him now?" he countered, his head crooked as he buried his hands in the pocket of his pants. "Please," she scoffed her grip on his tie a little tighter. She smirked. "You call your father every week and I so happen to have cleared the rest of the afternoon for you. Of course you're meeting him."_

 _He smiled, biting his lip as he watched her. "You should come," he spoke then, her eyes widening for the slightest of seconds before she resorted to her witty self. "Just because your calendar is empty for the rest of the day, doesn't mean mine is," she answered, leaning back against his desk._

" _If I'm not here, you don't have to be here either," he countered. "Come on, it will be fun," he put up his best smile. "Harvey," she whispered, unsure. "It's your father's birthday. That's for family and friends." He rolled his eyes at her comment, "I am allowed to bring friends."_

 _She looked up at him, her eyes locking with his again. "Are we? Friends?" she could barely pronounce the words, they were boss and secretary, but not really that. Friends? Maybe, but there was this constant tension between them too. He swallowed, taking in her words before he nodded. "I don't know if you noticed," he started looking at her again. "But I haven't exactly made a lot of friends here, except for you."_

 _She swallowed, looking away as she tried to formulate a reply. "I don't know if you're trying to make me feel sorry for you or if you're being honest," she answered. "Why can't it be both?" he countered, a smirk forming on his face as she sighed, mouthing a "fine, I'll join," to him. Her lips curling up in a smile afterwards too._

 _She leaned back over his desk, her hand reaching for the calendar. "What are you doing?" he frowned as he studied her. She looked up over the object in her hands. "If we're friends, you better start remembering my birthday," she countered, flipping back through his calendar. Her mouth dropping a little as she saw her own name there. In what she had learned to recognise as his handwriting._

" _The flowers," she spoke then, thinking back to her birthday a few months ago. She'd only been working for him for little over two months. "Those were from you?" she asked unsure, because how couldn't she have known? "See," he smirked at her, "told you I'm an excellent boss."_

" _I thought you said we were friends," she countered, getting back on her feet. Trying to hide how his newfound information made her blush. "Yeah, that too," he laughed, his right hand moving to her arm, they walked outside his office._

 _._

 _She let out a laugh, looking away as they climbed the stairs to the red brick house. "So this is where the great Harvey Specter grew up?" she smiled. "I'm great, yes," he nodded, as he took the final step, his hand reaching for the doorbell. She shook her head at his words. "You're impossible," she sighed looking at him, her mouth dropping again as she noticed his tie._

" _What do you do with these things," she argued her hand sliding over the red piece of fabric to his neck. Fixing it for the second time that day. Her actions still making him swallow, his head popping to the right as he heard the door open. Entirely uncharacteristic for him he felt his own cheeks redden, as her hand was still attached to his tie._

" _There," she smiled, slapping him on his chest as he looked at the way his father crooked his head. "Dad," Harvey spoke stepping forward. "Harvey," the old man greeted him with a hug. "Who's this?" Gordon asked as he stepped aside again._

 _"Donna," she answered extending her hand before Harvey could introduce her himself. "I didn't know you were seeing someone," Gordon directed his comment towards his oldest son as he stepped aside, letting the two enter the house._

 _"Ooh," Donna laughed looking over her shoulder at Harvey. "He isn't. I'm his secretary," she smiled and Gordon nodded taking of her coat before he cornered his oldest son in the hallway. "Secretary?" he mumbled shaking his head._

 _"Yeah, uhm," he mumbled, now not even sure why he invited her along for his father's birthday. They'd only been working together for six months, but somehow it seemed logical. "You're missing out," he teased him, causing Harvey to let out a sigh. "Yeah, Happy Birthday to you too," he mumbled quickly following the redhead inside as he remembered his brother might actually already be there._

.

 _He looked to his right, his lips slightly curling up as he saw the redhead talking to his old man. Both of them in the kitchen, talking about things he couldn't possibly hear over the music his father's old band members where making, but just seeing her smile made him smile._

 _"She's hot," Marcus teased his older brother as he punched Harvey's arm. He frowned faking pain and swallowing the rest of the 'yeah' that left his lips without noticing. "Does she have a sister?" Marcus mumbled, his eyes falling on the redhead again. "What?" the young lawyer shook his head, not fully registering the words of his brother._

 _"A sister," the younger one repeated, "for me," slapping his brother's chest again to get his attention. "Or just her," Marcus continued, "or is she your girlfriend..." he teased him emphasising the last word. Harvey swallowed, his thoughts going back to the first time he got asked that that afternoon._

 _"Are you two dating?" Marcus asked again, making Harvey snap out of his thoughts. "We work together, Marcus," Harvey sighed annoyed. "That's it," his eyes falling on the redhead again. A movement that did not go unnoticed to his younger brother. "Yeah right," Marcus laughed, "that explains why you spend all your time at the D.A.'s office."_

 _Harvey rolled his eyes, ignoring his brother's statement as he downed the rest of his beer. "So can I ask her out then?" Marcus smirked, provoking his brother even more. "Don't even think about it," Harvey snarled back, his eyes landing on Donna once more as he placed the empty bottle on the coffee table in front of them._

 _Getting back on his feet, he made his way over to her as he heard someone else call for his dad. "Hey," she mumbled as he smiled at her, his hand opening the fridge she pushed herself on her feet and walked towards him. "Do you want another drink?" he asked as he opened his new bottle of beer._

" _This will do," she smirked as she took it from his hand, taking a large sip. "Hey," he pouted faking annoyance. "You still have to drive me home," she explained a smirk smile plastered on her lips. "And you already had two beers."_

" _I do and I did," he answered staring at her. "Were you watching me?" he teased stepping closer. "It's my job to watch you," she countered bringing the bottle to her lips, but he stole it back. "This isn't work," he answered after taking a sip. "And yet we're here," she countered taking the bottle back from him, drinking from it again._

" _You know," he smirked leaning onto the counter next to her. "Indirectly we just kissed." She let out a laugh, her eyes closing at how such a goofy statement could make her blush, but maybe it was more about who made the comment than the comment itself. She rolled her eyes then, looking back up. "What are you? Twelve?"_

" _I could make it directly if you want," he smirked, making her laugh even louder this time. The way they flirted becoming bolder, more direct especially when they spend time outside of the office together. The words she had used to describe him to her sisters only a week ago coming to mind again. Arrogant, funny. He could make her laugh, but he was also womaniser and if she wasn't careful, she could be in some serious trouble._

" _You're impossible." Her hand falling against his arm as she pushed him away. "An impossibly good kisser," he crooked his head as he leaned back against the counter. His eyes locking with hers again and she shook her head looking down. "I'll just have to take your word for it, Specter."_

" _One day, Paulsen. One day."_

 _._

 _._

" _So," Gordon started as he sat himself down at the kitchen table next to his son. "So what?" Harvey mumbled in return as he reached for his coffee. "Donna," Gordon answered with a smile as he studied his son's expression._

" _What about her?" Harvey asked, pretty sure, his father would soon start asking the same questions his brother did the other night. "You like her," Gordon spoke, his words sounding more like a statement than a question and the older man could see his son's jaw clench._

 _He did, he did like her, he just didn't like talking about whatever it was that was going on. "Doesn't mean I want a relationship," Harvey countered, not even dismissing his father's statement. "You do realise she's the only girl you ever brought home since you moved out? Not even that girl you had that... uhm... long distance thing with. What was her name?"_

" _Scottie," Harvey sighed and Gordon nodded in return. "Donna's good for you. She keeps you in check. I like her and I like the way you act around her. Like I have my boy back," the older man explained as Harvey rolled his eyes. Bringing the cup to his lips, he couldn't help but miss the hint of vanilla he'd gotten used to drinking in his coffee._

 _His jaw still clenched he looked at his father, already knowing the latter wasn't anywhere near with his remarks. "You like her," Gordon stated again. "And I think she likes you too."_

 _._

 _._

 _She swirled around in her desk chair, the phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder. "Yes. He's here. I'll put you through," she answered as she pressed the button of the intercom. "Harvey, your father is on line one."_

 _He looked up, frowning at first before he reached for the phone. Nodding in her direction as he greeted his old man. She smiled watching him for a few seconds before she put the phone down herself. Having met the man on the other end of the line, she understood better now why the man she worked for was always in such a good mood after he had talked to his father._

 _A couple of minutes later the phone call was transferred back to the redhead. "Mr. Specter," she smiled, rolling her eyes at Harvey who raised his eyebrows at the tone she used. "Donna, could you please remind my son he promised to grab lunch with me in half an hour."_

" _I will," she answered. "Nice talking to you again, Donna," she heard the older Specter man speak. "Same to you, Mr. Specter," Donna answered as she scribbled something down on the notepad in front of her. "It's Gordon, you know that," his words making her smirk._

" _I'll make sure he'll be there, Gordon," she emphasized his name this time. "Thank you, Donna," she heard his say just before the call got ended. Placing the phone back, she turned her chair around again. Her eyes landing on the young lawyer, she smirked as she made her way into his office._

 _He looked up, observing the smile painted on her lips. "What?" he mumbled, studying her face. "You're having lunch with your father. That's sweet," she commented, making him laugh at her words. "Why's that sweet?" he countered._

" _Nothing," she shook her head, dismissing his words. "I just hadn't pictured you to be such a family man, that's all. Weekly phone calls, lunches," she summarized, counting on her fingers and he laughed, shaking his head. "Well I am, Miss. Paulsen," he answered, using the same tone she had used with his father. "Guess there's more to me than meets the eye."_

" _Harvey," Cameron Dennis spoke as she barged into the tiny office with them, making Donna step back. "If you stop flirting with your secretary, I need you on the Campbell case." Harvey sighed, his eyes flickering up to Donna before he looked at his boss again, nodding once in understanding._

" _Donna," he spoke as Cameron had left him with a stack of papers, "could you call Gordon and tell him I can't make it." She looked down at her watch, "Harvey you're supposed to meet him in ten minutes, you can't cancel on him now," Donna reasoned._

" _You heard Cameron. I can't leave," Harvey argued. "Harvey, it's your dad," she mumbled. "He'll understand, Donna," Harvey countered exhaling loudly as he took in her disapproving look. "But if you have such a big problem with it, why don't you have lunch with him. Since you two call each other now too."_

 _She sighed, her jaw clenching as he refused to look at her. "He calls me first," she shot back, pointing at herself, "because you're so busy these days and he doesn't want to keep you from your job," she added. Turning around, she pulled the door of his office closed behind her. He sighed once more, his eyes closing as he saw her reach for her purse before she stormed off._

 _._

 _._

" _And one with vanilla," Gordon smiled as he handed the redhead her cup of coffee. "Thank you," Donna mumbled as she took the cup from his hand, walking next to Harvey's father. "You wanted to ask me something?" she spoke taking a sip from her cup as the older man nodded._

" _I do, but first I wanted to show you something," he crooked his head to the right. She turned around, following his lead as they walked two more blocks across the city. His hand on her arm bringing her to a halt, she looked up. Exanimating the red brick building, with the large windows at the front._

 _Her eyes widening a little as she realised where he'd brought her. "Marcus' restaurant?" she asked for confirmation. "Yes," Gordon nodded as he held the door open for her. "Ready to open next week," Gordon spoke proudly._

" _What's next week?" Marcus commented from the back as he heard the two familiar voices discuss something. "The opening," Gordon answered as they made their way to Marcus. "It looks great," the older man commented proudly as he hugged his youngest son._

" _Thanks dad," Marcus smiled as he pulled back, kissing the redhead on her cheek. "Hi Donna," he added before he continued showing the little restaurant around to his two guests, seating them at the bar near the entrance again._

" _So," Gordon started as he looked at Donna. "What I wanted to ask was if you'd want to perform with me on the opening. It's a little small for a reunion of the band and... " he paused looking at Donna's shocked expression. "You sing too, right? I mean only if you'd want to," the old man added with that Specter smile she got to see almost every day._

" _Uhm..." she swallowed, still a bit flustered by the request. "Yeah... uhm, of course I will," she answered then, trying to produce a smile on her face that would match her words. "Awesome," Marcus smiled at her. "And if you could bring all your friends to the opening that would be nice," he added._

" _I will," she nodded looking at the younger man, "but you should also – "_

" _Ask Harvey?" Marcus commented shaking his head. "We all know the only person he'd bring is you, besides he already helped me with the money for this place, so –"_

" _I'll ask him," Donna promised. "Thanks, Donna," Marcus smirked as his father got up to walk through the place again. Marcus sat himself down next to the redhead. "What?" Donna whispered as she looked at the youngest Specter man._

" _I get why you said no to me," Marcus pointed at himself, "but I really thought you'd be dating Harvey by now. Not my dad," he added. Donna laughed her head shaking as she closed her eyes. Bringing her hand to her chest as she giggled once more. "I'm not dating your father," she reassured Marcus with a smile._

" _Or your brother," she added quickly, with a slight raise of her hand. "But you'd want to," Marcus shot back crooking his head as he looked at her. If his own brother wasn't going to enlighten him on what was going on, he would have to ask the man's counterpart._

 _Her mind briefly drifted off to the brunette named Melanie she'd seen him hang out with recently. "What I want," Donna spoke slowly as she leaned forward to reach for a menu card next to the younger man, "is for you to make me the best thing on here," she tapped the plasticised piece of paper against his arm. "Got to make sure there's something decent to eat if I'm bringing my friends to your opening."_

 _._

 _._

 _She jumped of the little improvised stage. Her hand landing on Marcus's shoulder, he turned to face her with a smile. "I promised my friends they'd meet the owner of the new best place in town," she smiled as she walked them over to the group. Marcus laughed, thanking her again as they moved to the crowd._

" _So, this is my theatre group," she told him as she pointed at them, "the ones I don't get to see that often anymore because of your brother," she added faking annoyance as he nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry about that," he smirked at the group of seven._

" _So, Marcus," she continued, "from left to right. Melissa, Jennifer, Tom, Valerie, Brian, Rebecca and Katie," Donna pointed at each of the group as Marcus greeted all of them. "Katie," he spoke slowly his hand shook hers._

 _She linked her arm with her old roommate's Melissa, as she guided her way through the crowd. The rest following them as Marcus excused him from the group. "You're doing this for his brother, aren't you," Melissa commented, knowing all too well that just a job wouldn't keep her friend away from something she used to be so passionate about._

" _No," Donna shook her head. "I'm doing this for Marcus, he's my friend too," she added trying to sound as convincing as possible. She bit her tongue as she saw her friend raise her eyebrows at her. "Shut up," Donna mumbled looking away, making Melissa laugh. "So where's prince charming?"_

 _._

 _He let his hand slip through his hair, cursing himself for being late the very first time Donna took the afternoon off. Pushing the door of the little restaurant open, he made his way through the crowd as he followed the sound of what he knew to be his father's saxophone._

 _His head popping up once more as he heard a familiar voice coming through the speakers, stepping aside the redhead came into his vision. His mouth slowly dropping he could feel a current run through his body as he moved closer to the improvised stage._

 _Her lips curling up as she saw him appear in the crowd. She winked at him when he mouthed a "why didn't you tell me?" in her direction. His eyes still wide of admiration she looked down, breaking their eye contact. Marcus walked up to his other brother, his hand slapping against his brother's shoulder. "Aren't they great?"_

" _She is," Harvey answered softly. "They are," he corrected himself louder this time as his brother stared at him. "God, I can't believe you haven't asked her out yet," Marcus spoke looking back at the stage, missing how his brother's gaze firmly remained on the redhead as he nodded, because he had been close to doing so more than he could count this past half year._

 _._

 _._

 _He placed a cup of her favourite coffee on her desk. His gesture making her look up at him, his gaze roaming over her white blouse for a second before his eyes met hers. "Coffee for this amazing singer," he smirked as he saw her blush ever so slightly._

 _He leaned against her desk. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked again, he'd never gotten the answer to that question the other night. "Wanted it to be a surprise," she answered truthfully, she reached for the cup, her eyes closing in appreciation when she tasted the vanilla._

" _Why?" he mumbled. "You trying to impress me?" he smirked leaning towards her, she chuckled at his words. "I wouldn't have to sing for that," she countered with a smile. "You were already impressed by me the moment we met."_

" _Was I?" he frowned, not wanting to give in. "I wasn't the one asking for sex within five minutes," she countered, bringing the cup back to her lips. Her eyebrows raised she kept looking at him as she took another sip._

" _It would take longer now," he answered burying his hands in the pocket of his suit pants. "Would it?' she challenged him, leaning forward to place her cup back on her desk. Giving him a generous view of her cleavage, she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from smiling as she saw him swallow._

" _Only because I'd have to wait for everyone else to leave the office first," he smirked and she shook her head, rolling her eyes in return. "You've not once stayed here longer than Big Bertha," she countered pointing across the room._

 _He pushed himself back up on his feet, turning around he spotted the woman that was sitting at the desk across the room shake her head at him. Frowningly he looked back to Donna. "I ... I have," he argued, "I could."_

 _._

 _._

" _You've had too much coffee," she commented as he signed some documents, his head popping up at her remark. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his hands leaning on her desk as he continued looking at her. "After two cups, your signature slants. After three it scrawls and after four, it's chicken scratch," she explained signalling the paper on her desk with both her hands._

" _They're not going to accept these," she added, pointing at them with her right hand. "You're crazy," he answered. "How many cups have you had today?" she countered, looking at him. "Five," he answered, his word making her crook her head, her eyebrow raised._

" _How do you do that?" he frowned, not wanting to admit she was right, but she was and she knew it as a smirk appeared on her lips. "It's what I do," she countered, her left hand reaching for the file. "I read, I analyse, I fix," she spoke emphasising the last word, after she threw it away and she placed a new paper for him on the table._

" _Bullshit," he countered, bending down to sign it again. She stared at him with her mouth left agape for a few seconds before she almost rolled her eyes. "You're wearing a blue shirt," she started, his lips twitching a little because he already knew this kind of response was coming. "Which means you won big in poker last night," she added._

 _Her words now making him frown, because they were spot on. He looked back up at her. "You missed a spot shaving," he left index finger briefly tapping against his jaw, "which means you had less than five hours of sleep last night," she continued as he stood back up._

" _And your left wrist," she looked down pointing at it with her right hand, "which you claim you sprained playing basketball," she teased him with a smile. "Still hasn't healed, because your loud tie is hanging ever so slightly to the left," she mimicked the movement with both her hands, before she dropped them again._

" _Loud by the way," she repeated, "because you won big in poker last night," she chirped slapping his arm with her hand, a confident smile on her lips as she finished her analysis of him. "For your information," he lied shaking his head, because he didn't want her to win this one. "I didn't lose sleep just because of poker –"_

" _Yeah, you did," she nodded, staring at him. "Melanie is not in the picture anymore," she added shaking her head as she leaned forward. "You knew about Melanie?" he repeated sort of in shock, not that it had been a secret but her knowing was another thing, as his face fell into a frown._

" _And Charlotte," she nodded. "And Nadiaaaa," she added, a hint of disgust clear in her voice as she made a cringing face. "I don't want you working for me anymore," he half lied, his words making her eyes widen just the briefest of seconds._

" _Harvey," Cameron Dennis' voice interrupting them both, he turned away from her, "stop playing footsie with your secretary. The Mackenzie brothers are here. We need these assholes to cave," Cameron spoke as he fixed his jacket._

" _I had an idea," Harvey answered. "Night Owl Murders," he added. "We're not using an idea you got from L.A. confidential," Cameron spoke using his hands, pulling on his jacket. "How's that different from you shooting a dead guy just because Sean Connery did it in the untouchables?" the young lawyer commented, making Donna smirk as she listened to their conversation._

" _What are you prepared to do?" Cameron shot back in a low voice. "Is that supposed to be Sean Connery?" Harvey stared at his boss. "Don't even think that you can do Connery better than me," Cameron spoke raising his hand. "Junior," Cameron added in the same accent, before he walked off._

 _Harvey turned around slowly to face the redhead again. "He's a lying member of a no good race," he spoke copying the accent as he walked back towards her, seeing her smile at his impression. "Ease up, James Bond," she commented her hand reaching for his jacket as she stepped closer, her left hand immediately reaching up for his tie again as he came to a halt right in front of her._

" _So," he started moving from left to right on his feet. "You gonna come out and say it?" he asked biting his lip as he looked at her. "Say what?" she answered, her gaze resting on the tie her hands were trying to fix. "All those observations," he spoke moving his head to underline his statement._

 _He leaned towards her, his head besides hers. "You're into me," he whispered in her ear before he moved back, looking at her for a reply, as she continued with his tie. Her eyes locking with his as she looked up then. "I'm not into you," she lied. "I'm Donna," she added as clarification._

" _What's that supposed to mean?" he countered, having heard her say 'I'm Donna' more than once now, his gaze still fixated on her face, as she did everything she could to avoid it. "It means I can do the same thing with Bertha," she spoke looking at the other secretary across the room. "As I did with you."_

" _All that means is that you're into Bertha too," he countered raising his shoulders, as he challenged her. Not dropping the subject this time. "Ooh," she purged her lips looking down at his, "what if I am?" she teased him, looking back up to meet his eye. "We could have a threesome," he answered raising his eyebrows as he kept looking into her eyes._

" _Trust me," she smirked. "If you were ever lucky enough to have me," she paused, her eyes locking with his once more. "You wouldn't want to share," she raised her shoulders, before she stepped away. Her head briefly turning over her shoulder as she looked at him._

 _._

 _He poured two glasses of scotch, one for him and one for her. "Compliments of Cameron Dennis," he commented, letting the glass in his hand cling against hers. She took a sip, her face cringing a little because she never really liked the taste of scotch, but she wasn't going to tell him that._

" _Harvey," she spoke as she put down her glass again, "this isn't just winning a case, this is head litigator," she emphasized with her hands. "Scotch isn't good enough," she signalled at the bottle. "We need like a ritual or something," she thought aloud, leaning back in her chair._

" _What did you have in mind?" a hint of his Sean Connery impression slipping through as he spoke and she laughed, her eyes closing as she turned her head away from him. "I don't know," she answered, still shaking her head._

 _He let out a breath, still looking at her as she turned to face him again. "I have an idea," he spoke calmly, seeing her question the expression on his face. "I'm listening," she countered. His hands still buried in the pocket of his pants, he raised his shoulder to defend the words that were about to leave his lips. "It's not something a gentleman should say out loud."_

" _Ooh," she breathed, throwing her head back before she reached for a piece of paper and a pen. "Well then I'm willing to pretend you're a gentleman," she smirked as she held up both items for him. His brows raising once as he took the pen from her hand, he looked down at the post-it in his hand. Scribbling down what he had in mind, he already smirked at his own creation before he handed it back to her._

" _Okay," she laughed before she had even seen it. The look on his face enough for her to know. "You're definitely not a gentleman," she added taking in his sketch. Her hand reaching for the pen he handed her, without letting her eyes slip from the drawing._

 _Still looking at the little piece of yellow paper, she crooked her head. "What would we even do it with?" she commented. "Whipped cream," he answered, raising his shoulders. It was the first thing that came to mind. She rolled her eyes, crumbling the post it before she threw it away, not looking at him this time._

" _Enough about this conversation," he started sitting down on her desk, letting his arm rest on his leg. "I want to revisit our earlier one," he added leaning towards her. "This is our earlier one," she countered looking into his eyes as she mirrored his move, leaning on her left elbow._

" _Come on," he spoke, bringing his head even closer. "You know you thought about it," he nodded, his words more of a statement than a question. "Yeah, I think about a lot of things," she answered without breaking their eye contact._

" _And," he nodded his head, "you would," he challenged her, his lips twitching a little. She felt her lips curl up at his expression. Shaking her head, she bit her bottom lip, remembering herself of what she told her sisters. "But I won't," she spoke._

 _He narrowed his gaze on her. "You're afraid you'd fall for me." She looked away, reaching for her glass of scotch. "Ooh please. If anybody is falling for anybody," she looked back up to him, before she took a sip of her drink. "It would be you for me," she added her eyes locking with his once more._

" _Sounds like a challenge," he countered smirking, making her look away again as she placed down her glass. "One you are never going to get to take," she spoke facing him again at her last word. He frowned, moving back up a little. "Why not?" he asked, his voice sounding more serious this time._

" _Because I don't get involved with men that I work with," she spoke, for the first time pronouncing the words she had been doubting about. Yet in a way, she couldn't make them sound completely true and the way she looked at him was anything but in line with those words either._

 _Okay, then you're fired."_

 _._

 _._

" _We're. Forgetting. The. Whipped. Cream," Harvey mumbled in between kisses. She sucked on his bottom lip as her hand reached for the bottle that had been on her nightstand. "No, we're not," she replied as she removed the cap from the can._

 _Harvey frowned at her, wondering how she had gotten that bottle in the room without him noticing. He was sure he had placed it somewhere in her living room the second he held her in his arms. "What, you didn't think we would only go for one round," she teased him as sprayed some whipped cream on his lip, before she licked it off. Kissing him again._

" _God, woman," he moaned as he pulled her closer, his hand fighting hers for the bottle. "It's Donna, actually," she smirked and he laughed, his eyes locking with hers as he let his hands move over her sides. She moved the can in the limited space between them._

 _His eyes stern but challenging, she didn't speak. Merely biting on her lip as she pressed the nozzle again. The cold creamy substance sticking to his chin, she bit her tongue trying to stop herself from laughing. He shook his head, making it difficult for her fingers to remove the whipped cream again._

" _You didn't," he breathed as she let her index finger trace over his bottom lip. Opening his mouth, he sucked on her finger before letting it go with a small pop. "Delicious," he mumbled, making her blush she wrapped her arms around his neck._

" _The whipped cream or me?" she asked her breath warm on his lips. He leaned in then, his lips meeting hers in a deep kiss as he turned both of them around on her bed. The need becoming too much. He positioned himself between her legs. "You," he answered, his lips finding hers again as he thrusted inside her._

 _._

 _Biting her lip, she threw her head back, her entire body arching. She buried her fingers in his hair. She knew he could talk his way in and out of everything, he was a lawyer after all and she saw him practice nearly every day. She just hadn't imagined he was this good with his mouth. Or tongue to be precise._

" _Harveeey," she moaned, pulling his head up from between her legs as she gasped for air. Rolling her eyes at his confident smirk, she dropped herself back on her bed. He kissed the inside of her thigh, moving his way up he let his hand remove some remainders of whipped cream from her stomach._

 _Pressing his lips in the crook of her next, just above her collarbone she squirmed under him. "Yeah," he mumbled against her lips as he kissed her again. Their legs still entangled his hand warm on her waist as he pulled back._

 _His head dropping to her shoulder, he just lay there. His body draped over hers. She smirked tiredly then, letting her fingers play with the hair in the back of his neck, as his thumb drew patterns over her skin. "Who would have known that the great Harvey Specter cuddles," she teased in a whisper, in a way expression her own surprising observation aloud. "Just you," he mumbled lazily against her neck as she felt her cheeks redden by his words. "Bet that's what –"_

" _Shut up," he mumbled, pressing his lips against hers again, making her arms fall around his shoulder._

 _._

 _._

 _Harvey woke up the next morning, a naked Donna still sleeping in his arms. He watched her for a couple of seconds, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. A feeling he couldn't place creeping up on him, all he knew was that he had to get away._

 _Now. He had never actually spent the night when he was at a women's place and letting someone stay was rare too. The fact that he had woken up next to not just anyone, but her, scared him to his core._

 _He carefully lifted his fingers from her stomach, letting his fingers trace her skin one last time before he got out of the bed. Reaching for his clothes he quietly dressed himself, before he made his way back through her living room. The bottle of whipped cream on the cabinet near her door a last reminder of everything that had happened, only really being able to breathe again once he closed the door of her apartment behind him._

 _._

" _Come clean, Harvey," Jessica continued. "What changed your mind?" she asked. "Instead of thinking about what I want to be doing in ten years, I started thinking about who I want to be doing it with," he replied, his mind also drifting off to the woman whose bed he had just left._

" _Me over him," the name partner replied letting out a breath. "Terms are non-negotiable. You get what I give you," Jessica spoke. "Fine by me," Harvey replied, "but I'm getting my own secretary."_

" _Associates don't get their own secretaries," Jessica shot back. "This isn't about the associate," Harvey reasoned, "it's about the secretary. And I'm not coming here without her." Jessica smiled at her protégé. "She must be very special," she teased him._

" _She is."_

 _._

 _._

 _Harvey watched her settle in. Decorating the desk outside his office. Her desk. He smiled and looked at his calendar. Monday August 5_ _th_ _. He was going to remember this day. The day Donna came to his desk. That much he knew. He got out of his chair and walked towards her cubicle._

" _Harvey," she chirped as she sensed him near her. She knew he was standing behind her inside her cubicle. "Donna," Harvey replied with an enthusiasm in his voice that matched hers, his hand resting on her arm for a second before he pulled back again. "How about we go to that shitty Thai place you like tonight?" he asked as he recalled how she had told him about it a couple of months ago, but she shook her head. Settling on ordering in at last._

 _They stepped outside the elevator together on the ground floor. "So," she started as she looked around the large hall, still taking in the firm, the building, the people, "this is where you used to work before going to Harvard?" Harvey looked at her and nodded. "Yes," he replied, "this is where we will be working. Let's go, I'll walk you home."_

 _Donna looked at him, his smirk smile still on his face. She knew he would still try, even after she reinforced the rule. "Harvey, no," she answered as she held a cab. "I'll see you tomorrow," she added before she got in the cab. Harvey let out a breath as he watched the cab drive away._

 _._

 _._

 _She looked around the little bistro, her eyes falling on the man across the table from her again. Harvey. Her boss, her friend, her one time lover. Her boss, she reminded herself as her hand tapped against the table. "Why are we here Harvey?" she whispered, looking down again. Yesterday he'd been so stand offish for her scratching that record and now, now, he'd insisted she'd join him for dinner._

" _You don't know which day it is?" he looked at her confused, surely if he remembered, she should know too, right? She was Donna after all. "It's August fifth," she smiled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Reminding herself once more that he was just her boss. Her eyes meeting his again as he pushed her glass towards her. She took it in her hand, before his fingers got too close and he mirrored her move. Raising his own glass, "To us. One year," he smirked, leaving out any mention of work._

" _And many more," she played along, her glass clinging against his before she took a sip of her red wine. Her eyes still locked with his as she looked up through her lashes. It wasn't on purpose, but she could see him swallow when her tongue removed a droplet from her lip._

" _I need to ask you something," he continued and she frowned, the way his fingers were fidgeting with his glass making her nervous. More nervous than usual, he's just her boss. She closed this chapter. "Okay," he sighed looking up again, "so there's this restauranteur that's trying to start a franchise here in the city and Jessica wants to sign him as a client."_

" _So?" she whispered, not really understanding. "Well, the thing is... the guy is from Tuscany and Jessica somehow assumed I spoke Italian –" Her eyebrows rose as she noticed him looking away. "Assumed?" she interrupted him. "You flat out told her," she's shaking her head now, he didn't respond but she knew enough. "What do you need?"_

" _For you to come to the meeting with me?" his eyes met hers again, and she frowned a little. This was new, but under the circumstances understandable. "You need me to be there in the conference room, okay." He shook his head, giving her his puppy eyes this time. "Actually, I need you to go to Italy with me."_

 _._

 _._

 _Donna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she briefly looked in his direction, her fingers fumbling with the edge of the cotton shirt. "What happened to your mother?" she whispered, "you never talk about her." She could hear him sigh loudly, already knowing there must have been a reason for him to never mention her. She swallowed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have –"_

" _I caught her cheating on my dad," he whispered, "not just once."_

" _Harvey," she tilted her head to look at him, her hand covering his for just a second. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Me too," he answered, his hand clenching as soon as she pulled her hand back again, "I believed her when she said she wouldn't do it again, but she did. And I... I couldn't not tell him. I was the one who ruined the family…" he swallowed, "I told my dad what she did... in the worst possible way there is. I made her leave the house and I left... I left them behind. My dad miserable, my brother alone..."_

" _It's not your fault," she whispered both of them remaining silent, and even though she couldn't see it in the dark, she knew he shook his head. Disagreeing with her words._

 _._

 _._

" _Harvey," Gordon greeted his son as he handed him a bottle of beer. "You up for the baseball game next week? Your brother is in," the older man nodded his head in the direction of the birthday boy. "Marcus throws like shit," Harvey commented, getting a look from his father that read 'that's why I asked.'_

" _Yeah," he sighed. "I'll be there. Can't let Marcus be the reason you lose," he added drinking his beer. "Good," Gordon smiled, "How are things at the firm?" Harvey brought his bottle back to the table as he smiled. "Busy," he laughed. "Jessica throws me a lot of cases, more pro bono ones than I'd like, but it is work. Louis is still jealous and Hardman... well, he's still a pain in the ass like always."_

" _Where's Donna anyway?" Gordon asked as he looked around the room filled with people. "What?" Harvey shot back, frowning at his father. "Didn't you bring her?" Gordon asked as he signalled the room. "Why would I bring her?" the young lawyer countered, shaking his head. Bringing the bottle back to his mouth, taking a sip to hopefully end the topic there._

" _Well," Gordon almost laughed. "I don't know, you brought her last year and she was at my birthday again and the two of you just went on that business trip..." the older man paused as he started connecting the dots in his mind. "Something happened," he stated then._

 _Harvey sighed, looking away as he couldn't help but think about every little bizarre thing that had happened and how much he had wanted something to happen. "Nothing happened," he answered then. "We work together. That's it, nothing more." The words not only an explanation, but also a reminder of what he told himself on the airplane back from Italy. He had to stop caring about her._

 _._

 _._

 _He walked around his new penthouse, his eyes fixating on the empty spot in front of the fireplace one more time before the doorbell rang. Images of her red hair spread out across the rug and the dress she wore coming to mind he made his way over to the door._

 _Nodding once at the delivery guys he stepped aside. Letting them carry the black leather couch she picked out inside. "There," he pointed at the location she'd determined and he shook his head thinking about how she managed his life in and out of the office._

 _For a split second he contemplated redoing the entire arrangement of his living room. Just to proof himself that he could, but he also knew that this option, her option, would trump anything else. "Thank you," he spoke as the two men carefully removed the plastic packaging, before they made their way outside again._

 _Walking back to his living room, he clapped his hands once as he took in the final result. Sitting down in the right corner he slowly lifted his feet to let them land on the glass coffee table. He smiled letting out a breath, the words of the redhead coming to mind again._

" _Has Gordon seen this place yet? You've got to get a couch first though, you can't let him sit on the floor," he opened his eyes again. Pulling out his phone, his thumb hovering above the third speed dial. He pressed once, bringing the phone to his ear._

" _Hey dad," he answered, letting his head lean against the backrest. "Yeah everything is okay... I just, you know I got a new apartment, right? I thought... We haven't talked in a while, maybe you could stop by and we could have dinner?"_

 _._

 _._

" _Good to see you, Harvey," Gordon spoke as he hugged his oldest son in the door opening, his gaze landing on the door sign. "What's this? You two together now?" he asked, making Harvey look up. He rolled his eyes at the little plate, he really should remove it._

" _Dad," he sighed as he let his father enter his new apartment. "She just helped me get this place. That's all, it's a joke of the real estate agent," Harvey explained as truthfully as he could. Gordon laughed, looking back at Harvey. "Well I like the sound it," he stated. "How's Donna?"_

 _Harvey shook his head. If it weren't for the constant hinting at his own relationship with the redhead in particular, he would have thought his old man had a crush on her. But then again who didn't? He shook his head again, pushing away those thoughts._

" _She's in the Bahama's. So I assume she's doing great," Harvey commented as he walked back to his kitchen, checking the pasta. "The Bahama's? Harvey," Gordon countered, looking at his son as if he was serious. "As a thank you for all this," Harvey raised his hand pointing at his apartment again._

" _Shouldn't you have been there with her?" Gordon fired back. "Will you ever stop questioning me about her?" the lawyer countered as he walked the dish he'd prepared over to the dining table. "If you pull your head out of your ass and make a move I might."_

" _Who says I didn't."_

 _Gordon frowned, turning around to look at his son. The slightest hint of his lips twitching betraying the younger man and Gordon knew enough. "She said no?" he asked, confused, in disbelief even maybe because he'd only always commented on it since he honestly believed the two of them were just blind to what was right in front of them._

" _She doesn't get involved with men that she works with. It's a rule."_

 _._

 _._

 _He pulled on his bowtie, making his way to the bar as he downed the remainder of his glass. In need for another one after that encounter with his mother. "Harvey," she called for him as she walked after him to the bar, her eyes searching for his as she saw the tired look on his face. "I know you have issues with your mother, but it's Marcus' wedding, maybe it's –"_

" _I haven't spoken to her since she left, Donna," Harvey sighed signalling the bartender to refill his glass, before he looked at her again. "And I'm not going to pretend everything is okay now, just because of Marcus. So stop -"_

 _She raised her hand, before he could finish that sentence. "I'm going to walk away now," she spoke as she pointed back to the dancefloor. "Before you say something I will not be able to forget," she added walking away._

" _Donna," he called for her. Her hand in the air, signalling she didn't want to hear whatever else he had to say as she walked off. Shaking her head as she crossed the room she ran into Gordon, whose hand caught hers and swayed her around on the dancefloor._

" _Whatever he said," Gordon spoke, "I'm sure he didn't mean it." Donna chuckled softly letting herself be turned around the dancefloor. "It was about your ex-wife," Donna confessed then, knowing all too well it wasn't her place to comment. "I shouldn't have ..."_

" _He never forgave her," Gordon spoke softly. "But he's also never wanted to see the bigger picture and I'm not trying to talk things right...but I wasn't around much," Gordon stated. "I chose my career over her, over them more than once. She had to do most of it on her own...and when I was there I was the one who took them to games and stuff," he explained. "I was the fun parent."_

 _Donna swallowed, nodding. "Yeah, I get that," she whispered, thinking about her own life as a kid. "I just hope," Gordon spoke looking in the lawyer's direction, "that he doesn't go down that path. That he will be able to choose his family. I hope, I or... Lil and I didn't ruin that."_

 _._

 _He spun the glass with auburn liquid around in his hand. Already regretting the words he'd just spoken to her. His gaze landing on the redhead again. Seeing her being swirled around the room in his father's arms, he let out a tired sigh, before his lips fell into a smile._

 _Spotting his brother and now official sister in law, Katie, dance next to them. He let out a breath once more as he thought back to all the comments both Specter men had made in his direction recently. His feet betraying his mind, he found himself walking towards her._

 _His father looked up as he spotted his oldest son walking over. "Harvey," Gordon greeted as he nodded at Donna, excusing himself from the dancefloor. Harvey held his hand up for Donna who stared at it, her lips pursed together she waited a few seconds before she spoke._

" _Harvey, you don't have to. I know how much you hate dancing," she commented, making him crook his head in return as he stared back at her. His hand fell around her wrist, spinning her around, he made her land in his arms. "Even if you're quite good at it," she added avoiding his eyes, as her left hand rested on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered slowly until his eyes met hers. "For earlier... it's just... I –"_

" _I'm sorry too," she whispered back. "I shouldn't have said anything," she added as they moved over the dancefloor together. His left hand slowly dropping over her back as they gradually moved closer to the other. Their entangled hands pressed against his chest, she looked up at him again._

 _Eyes locking once more, she gave him a small smile. A gesture he returned before she let her head rest against his shoulder. His head crooking a little towards her, his lips almost touching the top of her head. "Thank you for joining me," he whispered then, "for helping me ignore my mother even if you think I should talk to her."_

 _She chuckled softly. Afraid to pull back and look up to him, she stayed in her current position. "Well you said you needed me here," she half joked, but it were the words he'd used. "Yeah I did," he whispered in a sigh, not saying anything else. "Anytime," she added._

 _Gordon smirked as he brought the glass from his hand back to his lip. Seeing both of his sons dance. Knowing all too well that the one that just got married wasn't the only one holding the woman he loved in his arms. Even if said women was off limits._

 _._

 _._

 _Her fingers frantically typing away on her keyboard she was working on some files she needed to catch up on. Hearing her name her head shot up instantly to face the man that just called for her. "Hi," she mumbled as she noticed Gordon standing there at Harvey's desk._

" _Donna," the old man smiled at her, as he pointed at his son's office. "He's in court," she answered before he could even pronounce his question. Gordon pressed his lips together in a thin line as he nodded. Sitting down across the wooden desk from her. "They still didn't make him partner?" he rather stated than asked and Donna shook her head._

 _His gaze dropped to the can opener that was still on Harvey's desk; reaching for it, he studied it for a second as he took in his son's office. Donna swallowed, redirecting her gaze from the metal object to the lawyer's laptop right in front of her._

 _Closing the monitor she contemplated if she should tell about the object the older man was holding, but before she could he laughed placing it down. "He's got one just like this at his new place," Gordon added, "except it's engraved. It reads something like –"_

" _Going for the record," she whispered. Her words making Gordon look at her again. "Yeah," he mumbled, almost laughing to himself as he should have known she already knew. "I gave it to him," she explained and he smiled, wondering about the meaning behind it._

" _I just hope it doesn't stand for the time it's going to take before you two realise what you could have together," Gordon mumbled as he shifted in his chair. Donna merely swallowed not sure how to respond to that after everything that happened in the past few months._

 _The lack of the common witty response not going unnoticed to Gordon, he leaned forward. His hand resting on her wrist for a few seconds before he spoke. "He might not say it, but he does love you, you know." Donna swallowed a small smile on her lips as she looked down. It's the first time her signature phrase doesn't leave her lips._

 _Gordon turned around then, staring at the painting hanging above the record player. He let out a tired sigh, before he asked: "Did you know Lily made that?"_

 _._

 _._

 _Harvey smiled, turning to face his father as he walked through the living room. "He signed with me," he beamed about how he now represented the basketball player. "Michael -"_

 _"Jordan?" Gordon interrupted him, frowning because as much as he knew how good a lawyer his son was. He didn't expect this. "Well," Harvey mumbled, burying his hands in the pocket of his pants. "Technically he signed with Donna, but I'm the lawyer so... yeah," he smiled again, proud of what they had accomplished._

" _How's she doing?" Gordon asked then. "Donna?" Harvey countered, not sure why his dad wanted to know, but then again they had this special bond. "There uhm," he paused for a second looking down. "Was this mess with her father," he confessed then. "She asked me to invest in his business, but she's so blind when it comes to him."_

" _Harvey, the man's alright," Gordon countered before Harvey could continue the rest of his story. "What..." Harvey frowned, wondering how his father could make a statement like that. He'd only really spoken to the man once, last week when he met him at the golf course. Not even haven talked to him when he picked up Donna during the holidays years before. "I just met him like a week ago, how –"_

" _Harvey," the old man sighed, "what I'm trying to say is … Donna's an amazing woman, the man raised her. He can't be that bad." Gordon offered his son a smile as he studied the way his son's face changed into a smile and back into a frown. "Yeah, I'm awesome too, that doesn't mean –"_

" _Harvey, she's still you're mother," his father stopped him. Harvey sighed, looking away because he wasn't about to have a conversation about his mother. "Anyway we," the younger lawyer started again as his father laughed this time. "What?" Harvey asked slightly annoyed now at how many times the older man could interrupt his sentence._

" _You do realize you're always talking about us and we?" Gordon smiled, not even having to mention her name as he saw his son's jaw clench just a little. "Donna is my secretary and I might be her boss," Harvey answered with a sigh. "But we work together, we are a team. So no I'm not going to say I and take all the credit, when it was her who made this happen."_

" _Right," Gordon shook his head as he reached for two bottles of beer from the kitchen. "I'd like to live to see the day my red-headed grandkids are born," Gordon spoke as he placed the bottle in front of the lawyer. "So just marry her already."_

 _._

 _._

 _His phone pressed against his ear he walked across the busy floor with associates. "How do I know the Patriots aren't going 19-0?" he spoke, his left shoulder hitting a fellow lawyer. He raised his hand as apology. "Because no team from Boston is going undefeated when the road goes through New York," he continued as he walked over to his cubicle._

" _You got that right," she spoke, not even looking up from the newspaper she was semi-reading. "Goddamn Patriots," he answered putting away his phone as he snatched the folded newspaper from her hand, making her turn towards him._

" _Your dad called," she spoke bringing her now empty hand back to her cup with vanilla flavoured coffee. "I'll call him later," he answered briefly looking up at the redhead. "He always asks why the idiots in charge haven't made you partner yet," she recapped a part of their earlier conversation._

" _He's so proud. It's sweet," she smiled her head crooked as she looked at him. "He's right," Harvey nodded regarding the 'not made partner yet' comment as he studied her face. The way she bit her lip to stop herself from smiling, but smiled regardless. The way her left eyebrow briefly raised the moment their eyes locked._

" _You have that look on your face," he nodded, his right hand reaching for her arm as he guided both of them back to her cubicle. She chuckled at his response, following his lead as she turned to face him again. "Louis is getting a secretary," she whispered leaning towards him. "Her name Is Norma."_

" _What is she, 100 years old?" he frowned. "She won't last a week," Donna laughed as she turned to walk around her desk. "You heard it here first," she added as he smirked, turning around himself. "Oh, and Jessica's on her way down," she added then._

 _He stopped in the door opening, turning around to face her again. "So," he crooked his head looking at her as he stepped closer. "You buried the Jessica news to lead with the Louis news?" he confronted her until she gave him a funny face. "I'm not apologizing for who I am," she countered, shaking her head._

 _._

 _._

 _Harvey walked back to his office form the elevators. A wait lifted of his shoulders as he was finally able to give Jessica the name of the one that was embezzling money. "It's done," he spoke his eyes briefly falling on Donna who was standing in front of her cubicle before he entered his office. "Hardman is gone."_

 _She followed him inside. "Harvey," his name leaving her lips as calmly as possible, he looked at her. His own face immediately falling as he noticed the look on hers. "What is it?" he asked stepping towards her, taking in her watery eyes._

 _She opened her mouth, struggling with the words. "I don't know how to say this," she started, which for her was practically a first. She let out a breath looking at him as his mouth dropped a little. "Just say it, Donna, What?" he asked as calmly as possible._

" _Your dad," she spoke pausing briefly, "he had a heart attack," seeing the words slowly register in his head as his breath faltered and his body froze for a second, before his face fell back into a questioning frown. Not daring to pronounce the question that was on the tip of his tongue._

 _She pressed her lips together, swallowing as she nodded her head. Not being able to speak the words either, her eyes tearing up just like his. He nodded in understanding and so did she in return. In a way conveying the message without either of them forcing the other to say it._

 _He swallowed, his gaze breaking from hers. He looked away as his mouth slowly parted. Briefly gasping for air, he took two steps towards his record collection. The one thing in his office that reminded him of his old man, their shared passion for music._

 _Her head turned to follow him as he stepped away from her. Unsure on what to say or what to do she shook her head. "Harvey, I'm so sorry," she whispered then as she stood behind him, her hand lingering in the space between him._

" _It's okay," he spoke letting out a breath before she got the change to reach for him. He let out another breath, not able to face her either. An, "ooh my god," leaving his lips in a near inaudible whisper as he stood there._

 _._

 _._

 _Harvey smirked as he listened to his mentor telling how bad Daniel's aim was when he threw a phone at her the night before. "You needed me?" he asked then. "I wanted you to be the first to know," the new managing partner spoke, "we have a new partner."_

" _Andrew McCutcheon," Harvey mumbled, not giving anything a way as what he hoped for. "Solid candidate," he added, making Jessica shake her head. "A simple thank you would suffice," she countered emphasizing the thank you part. "Me?" Harvey frowned. "Thank you? " He shook his head, already smiling. "Never."_

" _Well, I have a partners meeting in five minutes," Jessica continued as she moved towards the door. "I'm gonna break the news that I'm taking Daniel's office," she whispered as she walked by Harvey, who turned around with her movement._

" _Who's taking yours?" he asked as Jessica turned on her heel in the door opening. "I'm looking at him," she answered, as she eyed him. His mouth still left agape she continued, "He'd be proud."_

 _._

 _._

 _Her black heel tapping against the floor of the elevator she called his number once more. Mumbling his name in frustration as it went straight to voice mail yet again, she now waited to reach his floor. Searching for the key to his apartment on her keychain she mentally prepared herself for what was to come._

 _The state in which she would find him, that is if he was even there. She turned the lock, letting the door fall shut behind her with a bang as some sort of warning, but there was no response. Making her way to his living room, she swallowed as she saw the first thing she had predicted._

 _An empty bottle of scotch resting on the coffee table between a few records she knew to be of his father. She let out a breath as she walked closer. Dropping her purse on his couch she made her way to his bedroom, abruptly coming to a halt as she saw his bare back coming out of the sheets._

 _Automatically closing her eyes, she counted her options, but she had to do this. Sighing she opened her eyes again, her gaze roaming over him to the other side of the bed. She knew him well enough to know that she could have found any blonde or brunette there._

 _She kept telling herself it would be no big deal, but seeing the sheets on the other side of the bed were untouched made her feel slightly more at ease. She looked up then, thinking that pulling the curtains open would wake him up, but she could have known the man barely owned a pair._

" _Harvey," she spoke then, too soft for it to result in anything resembling him waking up. She looked at her watch, knowing she had to do this rather quickly would they be on time for his father's funeral. "Harvey," she spoke again louder this time as she walked towards him, her hand stretched out, she balled it into a fist before she could reach for him._

" _Harv," she mumbled again, her hand touching his shoulder as she stirred him around. His eyes flickering open instantly, he froze on the spot as she pulled her hand back at his reaction. "Don...na?" he groaned, bringing his hand to his head as a he now noticed how his head was pounding._

" _I'm sorry," she whispered as she saw him turn around, trying to sit up straight in his bed. He turned to sit on the edge of his bed. His elbows leaning on his arms, his head resting in his arms. "Wh...hy?" he pronounced, trying to keep his eyes open._

" _Harvey," she stuttered, kicking off her shoes as she noticed he was still mostly unresponsive. She kneeled down on the floor in front of him, bringing herself on eye level, she called his name again. Her hand touching his wrist she waited for him to look at her._

" _It's the day of your father's funeral," she whispered softly seeing him nod, his eyes closing again as he couldn't look at her. "You should get ready, or we're going to miss it," she added, hearing him sigh in return as she got back up on her feet._

" _You should take a shower and I'll make you some breakfast," she reasoned as she made her way to his bathroom. Turning on the tab she quickly made her way back, but instantly coming to a halt as she nearly ran into him._

 _Slowly lifting her head, her eyes trailed over his toned chest, swallowing she stepped back as she watched him bring his hand through his hair. The "sorry," he mumbled in his raspy voice making her look away. "I... uhm... I'll pick you a suit," she spoke as she got herself out of the way._

 _Biting her lip and letting out a breath as she could hear him move under the shower. She shook her head, making her way to his closest as she searched for a suitable outfit. Gently laying down the suit on his bed, she bends down for her shoes again._

 _Slipping them on as she heard the tab being closed, she turned on her heel. Her head briefly tilting to the left she made her way over to the kitchen. Fixing him a coffee and two slices of toast, she paced down the room until he appeared._

 _Sitting himself down on one of the bar stools, she gently pushed the plate towards him. Handing him the coffee with her other hand. She studied him for a second, a small smile on her lips as he looked at her again. The tiniest hint of her showing she was there for him._

 _._

 _She shifted on the red faux leather seat of the cabin they were in. Her gaze falling onto him for the umpteenth time this train ride. She studied him again, the way his head was resting against the window. His hair far from the jelled up version she saw every day, his chin graced with something more than a five o' clock stubble. The tired dreamy look in his eyes as he seemed lost in thought, made him look more like his father than ever before._

 _Silently she walked next to him as they got off the train. Meeting up with Marcus, Katie and the young Matt at the gates of the cemetery. She watched how the two brothers merely nodded, hugging each other for the just a moment before they parted again._

 _His hand shaking that of Katie's as he tried to smile at the little boy. Her own heart breaking as she felt the younger man's arms embracing her, she realised that he, the one of the two she knew so much better and spend nearly every waking second of her life with couldn't let her in. Like the younger man had just done._

 _She stayed on the side as she watched the small family stand together behind an arrangement of flowers. Briefly looking around she saw a handful of faces she recognized from the birthdays she witnessed, but all in all, she had to conclude it was a small and sad gathering._

 _Not even the man's ex-wife was present and she was sure it hadn't been his mother's call. She watched him then again as he stood there. Almost stoic compared to the emotional younger brother, but she could see by the glassiness of his eyes that he was just as deeply affected, if not more. He only didn't allow himself to shed the tears that would match this moment._

 _He remained calm during his speech. It was short, but thoughtful and she could hear how he meant every word of what he was saying. Even if it was just the result of a moment of clarity. She was sure he wouldn't be able to explain let alone recognize the meaning of the words he'd just spoken._

 _A record played softly in the background as the five of them stayed behind, watching the casket being lowered. She noticed how he was standing there, still on his own as Marcus held onto his pregnant wife and their eighteen-month year old son._

 _Letting out a breath she wiped away the remainders of the tears caused by his words as she stepped forward. Her hand brushing over his shoulder, she briefly squeezed to let him know she was there for him. Preparing the faintest of smiles on her lips in case he'd turn to face her. She just stood there as he didn't._

 _Shut off from the world. From her. He didn't budge by her touch, he didn't look and he didn't speak. She swallowed, realising there was nothing more she could do. She squeezed his shoulder again before she let go. Taking a few steps back to give him his space. The words "I'm here for you," never leaving her lips, she just hoped he knew._

 _._

 _._

 _She leaned down, smiling at the little girl in his arms. Her index finger moving over the girls stomach as she looked back up to Marcus. "She's beautiful," she smiled, "Congratulations. How's Katie?" Marcus smiled, nodding at the redhead._

" _Upstairs, sleeping," he answered as he smiled at his daughter. "Do you want to hold her?" he asked, making the redhead frown a little. "Can I?" she beamed as he nodded, signalling for her to sit down she took place on the chair._

 _Holding her arms up, Marcus placed the little girl in her embrace. Sitting back he looked the redhead who was making funny faces at Emily, who held on to one of her fingers with her tiny he hands. He smiled, remembering how his brother had done the exact same thing when Matt was born._

 _They hadn't been in touch much after their father's death. The older brother fully focussing himself on his job. Donna being the one that updated him on his brother's whereabouts. The amount of details becoming less each time, telling him he wasn't the only one Harvey closed himself off from._

" _You know what dad would have said if he'd seen you like this?" Marcus commented as he pulled his little boy on his knee. Rocking him back and forth, he watched Donna raise her eyebrow. Not sure what to expect. "Well not to Aunt Donna's face," Marcus commented as he fixed his son's shirt, looking back at the redhead again._

" _He'd have said something along the lines of wanting to meet his redheaded grandchildren." Donna swallowed then, her gaze dropping to the little girl in her arms once before she closed her eyes. Trying to stop the tears from forming._

" _I... uhm..." she mumbled biting her lip as she shortly gasped for air. "I… uhm...should go," she spoke as she lifted herself up. Handing the little girl back to her father. "Everything okay?" Marcus asked as she tried to smile at him._

" _Yeah... uhm I just... remembered something... I need to do," she nodded, her hand brushing over the two year old's head who was sitting next to his father. "Have a great day, say hi to Katie for me," she mumbled bringing her purse to her arm as she walked away._

 _Still fighting the tears, she covered her mouth with her hand before she managed to step outside. Her arm falling around her stomach as she gasped for air when the cold winter breeze hit her skin, but it didn't stop her from crying tears she hadn't allowed herself to shed in over half a decade._

 _._

 _._

" _It was my dad," Harvey said after a couple of minutes. Donna looked at him, not sure what he was referring at. Harvey sighed, "You wanted to know why," he said bringing up the fight they had in his office earlier that day. When he let it slip that he didn't forget to annul their wedding, but couldn't do it._

 _He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, turning his head to face Donna. "The reason I couldn't do it, was because of him. The last time I spoke to him, before he … uh … before he passed away." Harvey paused for a second. "He teased me about marrying you."_

 _._

 _._

She stood there waiting, her hand resting on her stomach. Silently behind him as the view matched that of years ago. Harvey on the left with next to him Marcus holding his wife and two children this time. The younger man stepped back then, his own family following him as he nodded in the redhead's direction. Just like her, he knew how his brother dealt with loss and grief.

Alone and in silence.

She gave Marcus a small smile as he whispered a sorry on his brother's behalf to her. That after all these years he still stood there alone, with the bottle of scotch and two small glasses resting on the gravestone.

She swallowed then, switching her weight on her other leg as she wondered about her options. Even though it was only her second time visiting his father's grave, it was the first time she broke the silence this day was spend in over the years.

"Do you want to be alone?" she whispered softly. His eyes closing the second her voice reached his ears. A soft chuckle escaping his lips as he took a breath, as if he was wondering how she could even think that. He shook his head then.

"No," was all he said as she walked towards him. Standing right beside him, the back of her left hand merely brushing against his he reached for her hand. Intertwining their fingers, he held her close. Both of them remaining silent as they looked at his father's grave in the comfort of the other's presence.

.

He stared at his glass of scotch on the table in front of him, his thumb moving over the edge. "I miss him," he mumbled then looking up at his brother who nodded. "Me too," he answered, raising his glass as the younger man waited for Harvey to cling his glass against his.

"To Gordon," Harvey spoke. "To dad," Marcus nodded, both downing the rest of their glass. "You know he would have loved this," Marcus spoke, "you and Donna. Finally together," the younger man added emphasizing the 'finally.'

Harvey chuckled softly looking down as he remembered how their old man was always asking him about his relationship with the redhead. "He was actually part of why we got together," Harvey commented, making Marcus frown. "Really?" he mumbled and Harvey nodded, repeating the word.

"You know what he would say then right," Marcus continued as Harvey crooked his head. Already knowing what would be next. "Marry her already," Marcus chirped in the tone their father used, as he signalled to the waiter for a refill.

"I did," Harvey spoke then making Marcus look back up, his mouth left agape he stared at his older brother. "We're married," Harvey confessed then looking at his glass again. "Wait... what?" Marcus mumbled, when he finally found his words again. "When?"

"We got married so I could buy my apartment," Harvey swallowed then. The words making Marcus frown in disbelief. "I know, I know..." Harvey spoke, "it was a ridiculous plan…" he recalled. "She'd marry me, I'd buy the penthouse and we'd..." He paused, shaking his head. "No, I'd annul the wedding, but … I couldn't."

"You couldn't?" Marcus repeated, raising his eyebrows, because it must have been the first time he heard his brother say he couldn't do something. "Didn't want to," Harvey confessed. "And this will probably ... no it will sound selfish, but I'm glad I didn't. Look at everything we have now."

Marcus shook his head, still in shock. "He'd make you ask her again, if he found out," Marcus commented referring to their father. His words making Harvey nod in agreement. "I know," Harvey muttered, thinking about the little black box he'd been trying to hide from her for a very long time now.

.

She stirred around in his embrace. A smile forming on her lips as his hand drew patterns over her stomach, his lips placing kisses in the crook of her neck. "Harv," she whispered, her hand running over his arm as she tried to look over her shoulder.

"Morning beautiful," he whispered, his voice still husky as he looked at her. Admiring her. Noticing how she was going to object to his words, he pressed his lips against hers. Kissing her slowly. "You are," he whispered as he looked her in the eye.

Leaning on his left elbow, he let her roll around on her back. His hand moving over her stomach, he could feel the baby kick. "And this one here agrees," he whispered kissing her chest as his hand caressed her baby bump.

"Right, little one?" he continued letting his head rest on her breasts, he kissed the bump. She smiled, closing her eyes as she let her hands run through his hair as he continued talking to their baby. "I can't wait to meet you, see who you look like more."

"He'll look like you," she whispered and he smirked. "I hope you look like your mommy," he countered, feeling her fingers stir his hair. "I love you," he mumbled pulling her shirt up until he pressed his lips against her skin.

She laughed, shaking her head at his actions. "You're so cheesy," she teased him as he pushed himself back to sit up right. "I'm not," he argued as he helped her sit up. "You are," she reasoned as the stood up, turning around in front of him, kissing the top of his head.

"But I love you," she added smiling as she stepped back, making her way over to the kitchen he shook his head. Laughing at himself, them. "Who is cheesy now," he called after her as he made his way to the bathroom.

Rubbing his hand through his hair on his way back, he followed her to the kitchen then. Admiring her for a while before he sat himself down on one of the barstools. "Not me," she countered with a smirk as she reached for a mug. He eyed the counter with a frown spread across his face. "Hey, where's the –"

"Here," she turned around before he finished his sentence. Handing him yesterday's newspaper she had been reading, he took it from her hand with a smile. "Donna, could you – " She turned around again, placing a mug with hot coffee in front of him. "Already done," she answered, making him smirk even more.

"Marry me?"


	38. Chapter 38 - Mother's Day

**Hi everyone! It's been a while, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews. I'm glad you all liked the flashbacks.. I really love thinking about all the possible moments they could have had over the past 12 years... I hope you're all just as excited as I am for 6B! THREE MORE DAYS!**

 **Anyway, here's the next LONG chapter (but you waited long for it too.. ).. I hope you like it and would love to know what you thought. x - M**

* * *

 **Chapter 38: Mother's Day**

Her mouth parted slightly, a gasp escaping her lips and her hands started to tremble. "What?" she mumbled, her eyes searched for his. Her head now slightly shaking, she wondered if she heard this correctly.

Placing the cup of coffee back on the counter, he let his hand trace over the counter top of the kitchen island as he made his way towards her. "Marry me," he repeated softly this time, his eyes locking with hers, he reached for her hand. A small smile forming on his lips while he waited for her to answer.

"What…" she whispered once more, her head still slowly shaking from left to right. "No… Not… not like.." she paused her sentence, gasping for air herself when she heard her own words resonating in her ears and she could feel his fingers slipping away again. A tear slipping down her cheek, her gaze dropped to the now empty spot between them. Biting the inside of her cheek, she saw his feet retreating, making her look at him again but he didn't speak. A look of shock written all over his face. "You …" she cried now. "You can't ask me like this," she added now, her head crooking she tried to look at him again. "Not again."

He swallowed, feeling his vision starting to blur and his chest tightening. His hand landed back on the counter, his feet taking another step away from her. No clue what to say now, all he could hear over and over again was that two-letter word as response to the question he had wanted to ask her for a while now.

"Not like you did all those years ago. So out of the blue," she cried, lifting her arms in the air. She signalled the kitchen around them, her emotions taking over. "This isn't the romantic proposal every girl has dreamt about." She stood there crying, in no control of the words she was actually saying. A hysterical laugh escaped her lips when she noticed his empty hands, she brought her hand to her head. "You don't even have a ring," she laughed now.

"Don..." he mumbled, burying his hands in the pockets of his trousers. Swallowing in the rest of his sentence when she shook her head again.

Her right hand still fisted in her hair, she turned herself away. "I can't even look at you right now," she hissed. Her hand reached for a cloth, frantically starting to move it over the counter. Trying to remove a stain that wasn't even there anymore, pushing the newspaper aside. She continued with her task. "How can you ask me like this?"

He let out a soft sigh. Her additional reasoning making him overcome the original 'no.' He knew she had experienced some mood swings the past few week, but he hadn't expected one to happen by him asking this question. That was what he kept telling himself. That her hormones caused her reaction, otherwise she would have just said no. Nevertheless, her reaction threw him off his game more than he wanted to admit.

She had told him she loved him not even fifteen minutes prior to him asking her if she wanted to marry him. "Donna," he tried again, taking place between two of the barstools, but she just shook her head. Her finger tapping against the counter, she mumbled something about a stain again. "I uhm... " he whispered, his fingers tapping against his leg when she still didn't acknowledge him. He also knew it was best to let her calm down on her own. "I'll be at the firm for a while. Need to pick something up."

"Yeah. Ok," she answered. Her right hand reaching for the soap once more, she added another dot on the already shiny counter. Cleaning it again.

He swallowed, biting his bottom lip. He wanted to tell her the counter was already clean or that the housekeeper would do it, but he also knew that whatever he would say now wasn't going to register. Not now. Instead, he took a step back, walking past the kitchen counter he looked in her direction once more before he put on his coat. "I'll be back soon," he spoke whether she was listening or not, his right hand turning the doorknob. He quietly walked out when there was no response, closing the door behind him again.

Her head popped up at the sound of a door closing then. Her eyes widening she took in the empty living room and he hands with the yellow cloth in them came to a halt. "Harvey?" she called for him. Her breath faltering when her question was countered with dead silence. She looked to her left then, scanning the room as she called for him again. Her feet started to move and she made her way to their bedroom, followed by the baby room, but both of them are empty.

She turned around, her gaze now landing back on the kitchen and the entire scene plays out in front of her again. _"Marry me?"_ She gasped for air, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. Her other hand falling on the backrest of the couch for support when she remembers her own reaction. "Ooh... god... ooh god, no."

.

The brunette's hand fell against the door. "Donna please," she whispered to herself, knocking on the door twice more. A relieved sigh escaping her lips when she heard the muffled sound of footsteps coming from the other side of the door. "Donna, it's me. Rachel," she announced her presence. Her lips turning into a small smile when she finally faced her friend.

Donna swallowed, taking in the worried look in her friend's eyes. She didn't say hello, letting her hands drop instead, she made her way back to the living room. "Why are you here?" she asked, pacing around again. Cleaning the room in the process, her mind still going over what happened that morning.

"Donna?" Rachel tried again, waiting for her friend to look at her. She stepped closer when the redhead didn't, her hands carefully reaching for Donna's arms, she guided both of them over to the couch. Holding the redhead's hand when she sat down next to her. "Mike got called into to the firm on a Saturday," Rachel started. "That hasn't happened since..." she paused, her gaze dropping to Donna's stomach. "Well months. What happened?"

Donna bit her lip again. She was fighting the tears, but there was no point. "He... he asked me to marry him," she explained, another tear slipping down her cheek. "And I said no," she adds, another gasp escaping her lips. Saying it aloud making it sound so much worse. "Ooh god, Rach," Donna looked at her friend. "I said no… He... he asked and... And I... I said no," she repeated in between sobs. "I told him that wasn't the proposal a girl dreamt of… Why... why did I?"

"Hey," Rachel whispered, bringing herself closer to her friend. She wrapped her arms around the redhead, letting her cry on her shoulder. "It will be alright. Everything will be alright."

"But what if –"

"Donna," Rachel interrupted her friend's negative thoughts, letting her right hand move over Donna's back. "He loves you," she reassured her friend. "He loves you and you love him and that's all that matters. You're having a baby together. Everything is going to be fine."

Donna nodded twice, swallowing once as she repeated Rachel's words in her mind. "I never dreamt of a particular proposal, why did I say that?" she mumbled now, sitting back up. The confusion still there.

Rachel crooked her head. Wiping a tear from the other woman's cheek. "This little one here," Rachel added then, gently placing her hand on Donna's baby bump.

"What?" the redhead frowned now.

Rachel chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Don," she reached for her friends hand again. "You're pregnant. It are the hormones. Last week you snapped at Louis for drinking a prunie near you, you've been buying every single one of us sushi because you want to smell it and when you saw that article in the newspaper you ran off to your parents on your own," Rachel recalled giving Donna a small smile.

"How?" Donna whispered now, running the back of her hand along her nose. Sighing once more.

"You're seven months pregnant, Donna," Rachel answered with a smile. "You're going through a lot and sometimes the way you react isn't entirely rational, but we all know that. Harvey knows that too. It will be okay."

Donna smiled softly now, wiping the remainder of tears away. "I meant how do you know all this," she countered, nudging her friend's arm with her shoulder.

"Because Harvey told us how you didn't like the idea of going on maternity leave," Rachel answered. "So he asked all of us to take it easy with you when you're at the firm," the young associate added. Smiling at the redhead when she repeated the lawyer's name. "Come on," Rachel got back up. "Let's get you dressed and we will go out and get something to eat and when you get back here tonight, you're going to tell him you love him and everything will be okay, okay?"

.

Mike tapped his foot against the elevator floor. Counting the floors, he patiently waited for the elevator to reach the fiftieth floor. Looking back ahead when the doors opened, he stepped outside. His head automatically turning to the left, Mike came to a halt when he spotted the other lawyer waiting in front of the reception desk. "Ok, you're waiting here," Mike started. "What's the crisis? Which client?"

"There's no client," Harvey answered with a little frown. He signalled for Mike to follow him.

"No client," Mike repeated, his pace slowing down again. "You called me in to the firm on a Saturday and there is no client with a crisis?" He asked now. "What am I doing here then?" He added.

Harvey sighed, looking over his shoulder. "I said there's no client," he answered. "Not that there was no crisis," he explained, signalling with his hand for the pup to follow him again as he continued his way down the fiftieth floor. "It's not really a crisis either," Harvey mumbled then, letting out another sigh.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

"I asked Donna to marry me," Harvey answered, turning around on the spot once more when he noticed his associate had stopped walking yet again.

"You..." Mike stuttered, trying to wrap his head around his boss' words. "Wow. Congratulations."

"Don't –"

"What?" Mike shot back, shaking his head. "She didn't… Wait," he paused then. "Isn't the ring still in my office?"

"It is," Harvey answered, thinking back to her words from earlier that day. "That's why you're here."

Mike nodded in understanding, but frowned again. "I thought you were planning something special and you wanted me to hide the ring in my office, because otherwise she would find it?"

"I was," Harvey agreed, remembering the conversation he'd had with his friend a few weeks ago. "I just… I looked at her this morning and I couldn't wait anymore."

Mike smiled at Harvey's answer. "And Donna send you here to get the ring?" he teased Harvey, pushing the door to his office open. Both of them walked inside. Harvey sat himself down, while Mike opened the drawer of his desk. In search for the box, Harvey had asked him to hide.

"Not exactly."

.

Mike handed the little box over to his boss. Reaching for his phone soon after when it buzzed. He looked at the message Rachel had send him. "Rachel took Donna out for dinner," he reads aloud. Looking back up at the older lawyer. "Want to go and grab a bite too? Celebrate your upcoming engagement."

Harvey smiled, but shook his head. Not going to celebrate anything before he actually heard her say yes. Burying the little box in the pocket of his pant, he got up again. "I'm going home," he answered instead. "Want to be there when she gets home."

.

She wrapped her coat around her stomach, waiting for the red sliding doors to open, she made her way into the lobby. Her head turning to the right, she nodded at the security guy behind the desk. "He's home," Ed spoke, guiding the redhead on her way to the elevators. She pressed her lips into a thin line, smiling at the man that has helped her numerous times before.

Her hand tapping against her leg, she waited for the small metal box to take her to their penthouse. Her gaze resting on the sign next to the door for a moment, she smiled reading both their names and her hand moved over her stomach. "Harvey, Donna and Gordon Specter," she muttered under her breath, reaching for her key, she finally opened the door to their apartment.

"Harvey," she called for him the moment she stepped inside. She frowned for a moment when there wasn't a response and she now also noticed how there weren't any lights turned on. Quickly closing the door behind her, she removed her coat and kicked off her Manolo Blahnik ballerina's Harvey bought her the moment she couldn't wear her heels anymore.

Her fingers traced a line over the wall, she tiptoed her way to the empty living room. She spotted it in an instant, next to the cactus on the coffee table. The little Tiffany blue bow with a white ribbon around it. There could only be one thing inside; the ring she claimed he didn't have.

Bringing her hand to cover her mouth, she looked to her right. She had expected him to stand there, smug smile plastered on his face, but instead she spotted the burning light on the nightstand and him asleep in the midst of paper work. She let out a relieved sigh, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling she walked herself over to their bedroom.

His regular breathing giving away he'd actually fallen asleep. She watched him for a moment, the way he was almost sleeping on her pillow and it made her smile again. Quietly walking towards him, she reached for the papers. Placing them back in order, she made a stack on his nightstand. Looking to her right she smiled softly at the sleeping lawyer. It was only eight o'clock.

Changing into one of his old Harvard shirts, she turned the light off and made her way around the bed. Lifting the covers, she slid onto the matrass next to him. Her baby bump making the movement more difficult, he stirred in his sleep beside her before she finally managed to rest right beside him. Her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered then closing her eyes. "I don't know what happened. I didn't mean to say all that," she added, her hand caressing his chest. "Of course I want to marry you."

He hummed in his sleep, stirring around a bit more. Instinctively moving his arm over her waist to hold her close, his head now leaning against hers. "I love you," she whispered. Smiling at his movement, she brought herself even closer to him.

"I love you too," he mumbled, pressing a kiss against the top of her head. His fingers moving over her arm, he kept holding her close while both of them drifted off to sleep again.

.

He let out a yawn and his right arm moved over the matrass. His eyes flickering open when he realised that movement went uninterrupted. "Don..." he mumbled, letting his hand run over his face as he took in the empty spot beside him. Turning over his back, he sat back up. His eyes slowly scanning the rest of their bedroom until his gaze landed on a strange formation in the living room. He blinked twice then, wondering if he was still asleep, but his vision remained unchanged.

Pushing the sheets aside, he called for her once more. Making his way over to the living room, he stared at the improvised tent in front of the fireplace. His brows turning into a frown he now looked at her. The way she smiled softly at him, her hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her feet. "Donna?" he mumbled again, stepping closer. His hand briefly signalling to the structure on his right.

"Are we good?" she asked then, stepping towards him.

He noticed the concerned look on her face, crooking his head, his mouth dropping a little and he wondered how she could ever doubt that. Stretching his arms, he took her inside his embrace. "We're more than good, Donna," he whispered, hugging her tightly, making her baby bump press against his stomach. His lips pressing a kiss against her temple. Her hands moved over his chest, clinging onto his shirt in response.

"You're the love of my life," he said pulling back a little to look at her again. He could feel their baby kicking against his stomach then and he smiled. Taking another step back, his hand slipped from her back to the baby bump. His gaze lowering to the sight of her hand covering his on her bump. "I love you," he looked up at her again. "And I love our little pumpkin," he smiled, his thumb drawing circles on the spot their baby had just been kicking. "And I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you two. We're more than good, Donna."

She smiled, her eyes welling up from happiness this time. Harvey moved his right hand to her cheek. Wiping away a single tear, he cupped her face and kissed her once. "I do have a ring for you," he whispered afterwards, letting his forehead rest against hers.

"I saw," she smiled. Her hand caressing his cheek, she briefly looked to her left and back to him.

He smiled at her again, letting his left arm slide over her shoulders he moved to stand behind her. "I just went to the firm to pick it up. It's not like I can hide anything from you here," he whispered, resulting in a soft chuckle from her. "I'm sorry I asked you like that," he told her kissing the crook of her neck. His hands moving to hold her baby bump again.

"Don't be," she whispered. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

He let out a small breath, placing another kiss on her neck before he let his chin rest on her shoulder. His gaze moving to the structure in the living room again. "What's this?" he asked then.

She let her hands slide over his, her digits slipping between his. "I uhm... " she started. "I was afraid I messed things up between us and I remembered your dad telling me how he used to build pillow forts for you guys," she paused for a moment. "So I wanted to surprise you, thought maybe we could go camping in the living room."

He smiled at the memory of his father, squeezing her hand he took in the collection of pillows and throw blankets. The string of lights that hung in front of the opening and he laughed when he spotted the marshmallows, crackers and chocolate on the table in front of the fireplace. He decided not to comment on her climbing on chairs to arrange this whole thing, but hugged her tightly instead. "Let's make s'mores."

"No," she whispered, turning around in his embrace. Her hands moving over his arms, her fingers slipping under the short sleeves of his shirt. Her nails softly digging into his skin as she pushed herself to stand on her toes. Her lips brushing over his. "Let's make love," she suggested instead. Her words making him smirk, he kissed her again. Holding her in his arms as he guided both of them inside the tent.

.

He shook his head, smiling at the woman in his arms. Sometimes it still feeling unreal how everything he ever wanted she had given him. Her hand moved over his face, a finger trailing along the bridge of his nose. He smirked at the way she was observing him. Her thumb moving over his lips down to his chin and finally rounded around his neck to play with his hair. He leaned forward, her "I love you," answered by his lips against hers again.

He pulled back the second the doorbell rang. His eyes widening for a moment, he frowned looking at the redhead, who gave him the same questioning look. "Stay here," he whispered kissing her again before he rolled off her. Quickly reaching for his sweat pants, he put them back on, struggling with his white t-shirt on the way over to the door. He brushed his hand through his hair, letting out another breath before he opened the door.

"Jessica?" Harvey mumbled in surprise. Opening the door further, he took a step back.

"Good afternoon to you too," Jessica countered, taking in his outfit as she followed him inside. Her pace slowing down when she spotted the tent in the middle of his living room. The managing partner turned to face her fellow name partner, a questioning look spread out over her face.

"We're camping," Harvey answered, trying to sound as serious as possible. "She's still asleep," he added, guiding the older woman over to the kitchen. Jessica gave him another questioning look, but restrained herself from commenting. "Why are you here? I already have someone to eat breakfast with."

The managing partner rolled her eyes and shook her head. Looking down at her bag instead, she pulled out some files. "Came here to get you to sign these," she answered dropping the papers on the kitchen counter. "And I need you to go to Boston to finalize our new recruitment deal in two weeks," she added with an apologetic smile when his face turned into an immediate frown.

Harvey opened the folder, taking the pen from Jessica's hand. His eyes quickly roaming over the papers. "Cameron is dropping the case?" he remarked, briefly looking back up at Jessica who nodded in return. Her reaction enough for him to sign the papers. Closing the file, he handed both the pen and the folder back to Jessica. "Isn't Louis the one in charge of recruitment?"

"He would be," she agreed. "But you know how his emotions take over from time to time and placing him in the same room as Sheila Sazs ..." she paused her sentence when Harvey started chuckling. "Goddamn it Specter," Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes again. She stuck the files back in her purse, making her way out of the kitchen again.

"But... "

"You're having a kid. Grow up, already," Jessica countered, looking over her shoulder as she walked back towards the front door.

"Yes mom," Harvey mumbled now, biting his tongue when he noticed Jessica's disapproval. "Anything else?" He asked, his own question contradicted by him opening the door again. He looked back up at the managing partner. "I'd like to get back to my tent."

"The one in your pants or the living room?" Jessica shot back, her hand moving from signalling him to the apartment again, stepping outside before she could even see his reaction. His mouth dropped and his gaze lowered for just a second. "You looked," Jessica teased him, her hand instantly reaching for the button of the elevator. She turned around on her heels again. Giving the lawyer a knowing look.

"Goodbye Jessica," Harvey countered, closing the door behind him again. Letting out a deep sigh, his gaze lowering one more second. Muttering how he shouldn't have let Jessica trick him, he walked his way over to the actual tent. His white t-shirt dropping on the floor soon after. Smiling again when he saw his redhead push herself up a little to look at him. Her left arm holding the blanket in place.

"Are you sure this is the tent you were looking for?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "You heard that," he countered, crooking his head as he looked at the grin forming on Donna's lips. The soft laugh that followed only confirming it.

"Of course I did," she smiled, moving the blanket aside she showed herself to him again. Her grin turning seductive when she noticed his eyes darken and his breath faltering for a moment. "Now get your ass back in here," she ordered patting the pillows next to her. He smirked, eagerly stepping forward to crawl back in the tent beside her, but she raised her hand in the air. Stopping him again. "Lose the pants first, mister."

"Bossy," he countered, undoing the tie of his sweat pants, pushing them down soon after. He kneeled down again and crawled back into the improvised tent. His hand sliding over her leg and stomach, he hovered above her again. His eyes locking with hers, both of them smiled. "I like it."

"You love it."

"I do," he gave in, kissing her again. His left hand moving over her face, twirling a strand of her auburn locks around his fingers. He looked at her again. "I do," he whispered again.

"About that," she smiled, biting her lip as she looked away for a moment. Her free hand tracing the muscles of his arm. "You said something about a ring," she whispered, repeating the words he said to her earlier that day. She'd seen the little box last night, but she didn't want to ask for it.

He grinned, nodding and pressing his lips against hers again. He moved aside, laying himself beside her on the pillow. He stretched his arm towards the table and reached for the little blue box from between the marshmallows and crackers. Holding it in his hand he leaned on his elbow, smiling he took a moment to just look at her. "Marry me?"

She beamed. Nodding with her head as she kept looking at him. "Yes," she answered then. "Yes," she whispered, pulling him back into a hug as she kept whispering how she loved him. Her hand moving over his jaw, down his neck and to his chest. She smiled again, now looking down at the box he held up in front of her once more.

She pushed herself up a little and Harvey followed her motion. Pushing a pillow against the couch, he moved to sit behind her. Leaning against the couch, he pulled her to sit between his legs. His arms wrapping around her, kissing her shoulder he watched her remove the white bow from the Tiffany blue box. The lid soon following, she lifted the smaller black jewellery box from it.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at him over her shoulder but all he did was smile. Nodding at the box in her hand as his hands trailed over her arms. He took the lead, guiding her hands to open the box. His gaze remained directed on her the entire time, wanting to remember every single aspect of this moment. He looked at the way her mouth dropped the second she saw the ring he picked out, the tears starting to well in her eyes and the way she mumbled a wow a couple of times.

He kissed her cheek, smiling at her when she looked at him in awe. He took the cushion cut diamond set ring from the little box with his right hand. His hand shaking a little from the overwhelming feeling of happiness he experienced in that moment. His left hand lifted hers up again and he slowly moved the ring to her hand. Telling her he loved her again, he slid the ring over her finger.

Both of them letting out a nervous laugh when it got stuck on the middle phalanx. He opened his mouth to speak, she merely used her free hand to cover her left hand with his. Looking at him again, she smiled brightly before stating the obvious. "It got stuck."

"I... Uhm," he mumbled, looking at the ring halfway her finger as he held up her hand. Another laugh escaping her lips, she placed his right hand on top of her baby bump. Tapping on the back of his hand twice, to indicate that was the reason it didn't fit. He grinned now too, his eyes closing for a moment he wondered how he didn't think about that. "In my defence," he whispered in her ear. "I bought it a few months ago."

She let her head lean against his chest, briefly looking at him before her gaze drifted off to her hand in his again. "I can wear it on a necklace if you want," she whispered, but he shook his head telling her he would be okay with whatever she decided as long as her answer remained yes. She twisted a little in his embrace then, trying to reach for the purse she dropped on the couch before.

He reached for it instead, handing it to her. He watched her search for a necklace she had been wearing a few days ago but took it off when they were at a pregnancy class. He studied her motions, watching her open the clasp and move the ring over the chain until it dangled in the middle. He took the necklace from her hands, bringing his own hands behind her neck and closing the clasp again. Smiling at her when her hand covered the ring resting on her chest.

He reached for her bag again. One handle slipped from his grasp, the bag opened and he spotted the pencil he'd seen her use for her eyes from time to time. Tossing the bag on the couch again, he took out the pencil and removed the cap. The popping sound made her look over her shoulder, a slight frown creeping on her face she questioned his actions. He reached for her left hand instead and lifted it up again, drawing a ring on her ring finger with her eyeliner. "There," he whispered, kissing her again.

.

She turned around in her desk chair. Her right hand playing with the ring on her necklace, she stared at the sonogram they had taken that morning. Now more than ever, clearly being able to see the features of the little human being she was carrying inside her. Their baby boy looked perfect. The sound of her phone buzzing broke her thoughts again. She placed the sonogram back on her desk, hid the ring under her dress again as they had decided to keep it their little secret for a while and reached for her phone.

A chuckle escaped her lips when she saw how his message was nothing more than an eggplant emoji. Rolling her eyes at her phone, she quickly texted him back. **"Seriously?"**

" **What?"**

She frowned looking at the screen again. Wondering if he was clueless to his message or if something else was going on. **"We just ..."** She accidentally hit enter before finishing her sentence.

" **No. Yeah. Wait. Didn't you get my other message?"**

She scrolled back through the conversation, her screen moving back down when another message from him arrived.

" **I meant our pumpkin is the size of an eggplant."**

She smiled now at his words. He'd been making these comparisons every time they went to get a sonogram, she suddenly also remembered his enthusiasm in telling other's exactly that. **"Harvey, please tell me you only send that – "**

"Donna!" Her head popped up, her phone dropping from her hands. She stared into the eyes of the other name partner. "I think Harvey wants me," Louis announced then, his hands resting on the edge of the cubicle. She muttered an 'ooh shit' to herself regarding the last message she'd been writing. Letting out a breath, she looked down at her baby bump and back up at the lawyer.

"Louis."

"Donna, I'm serious," the lawyer continued. Pulling his phone from the pocket of his jacket. He showed her the message she received too. "Look at what he sent me. You and I both know what that means."

She opened her mouth to protest, but let out a sigh instead. "Ooh," she answered then, moving forward she leaned on her desk. Deciding that, if the lawyer in front of her could come to such an insane conclusion, she might as well play along. "Maybe he heard you ate cock for breakfast, lunch and dinner?"

"No," Louis exclaimed, pushing himself back on his feet. His hand tapping against the edge of her cubicle. "Nope," he added, shaking his head, now trying to make his way back to his office.

"Ooh Louis," she called after him, waiting for the lawyer to turn to face her again. "Harvey wanted to know if you could join him to that meeting upstate in two weeks?" she lied. Harvey had already asked her to join him. One last weekend away for the two of them. She watched the colour drain from her friend's face, chuckling when she now watched him walk away. She let her hand run over her stomach. "Your dad needs to learn how to text… and Uncle Louis," she paused, letting out a sigh. "Well you'll grow to love him."

.

His foot tapping against the floor he patiently waited for the elevator to reach the fiftieth floor. His head turning into the direction of the doors every time they opened, it happening more often than he liked on this particular day. They had been to the doctor's office that morning for another check-up and he'd gotten to see and hear his baby boy again. Something he still found magical.

He looked at the door again when the elevator reached the forty-sixth floor. A small smile growing on his face when the familiar face of his fellow name partner stepped into the elevator. "Hi Louis," Harvey greeted him, his hand reaching for the 'close doors' button again. "You look dashing today," he observed, the elevator starting to move again.

"Dashing?" Louis repeated, turning on his spot to question his friend's words.

"Yes. New suit?" Harvey signalled the other man's outfit.

A frown now grew on Louis face, briefly looking down at his own garment. He suddenly remembered the text message he'd gotten from the other lawyer earlier that day. "Ok. Stop it," he exclaimed then. "No."

"What?" Harvey shot back now, confused at the sudden outburst of Louis. He knew they didn't always seem eye to eye, but the man had no reason for lashing out at him now.

"I don't want you!" Louis yelled back, taking a step aside. "This is weird. Please stop," Louis added, getting out of the small metal box the second it reached the fiftieth floor.

Harvey just stood there. A frown forming on his face, wondering what the hell just happened. The ding of the elevator doors closing again waking him back up. He quickly stopped the door, stepping outside himself. "Donna," he muttered to himself then. Shaking his head when realised the redhead must have had a hand in this.

His head still shaking from left to right. He gave her a stern look as he walked up to her cubicle. She looked up the second she sensed his presence, a smirk smile on her face she watched him coming closer. Biting her lip then when he sighed in return. A quiet moment, with words left unspoken, she merely looked at him and he subconsciously licked his lower lip. "I hope you had your fun," he said, letting his hands rest on the edge of her cubicle. Looking at her until their eyes locked.

She let out a laugh. Her head thrown back in the process, breaking their eye contact. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she brushed it off as if it is nothing. Turning to face her computer again instead.

He bit his lip again, pushing himself back on his feet. He walked his way around her cubicle and leaned against the desk behind her. His hands resting on her shoulders, he pulled her chair closer. Bringing his lips to her ear. "I know you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Do I?" she countered, not giving in and not looking at him either. She stretched her arms to reach for her desk instead. Trying to pull her chair back in its original position. "I believe this one was entirely your own fault. You should work on your communication skills."

"My communication skills are just fine," he answered, standing back up. His hands starting to massage her shoulders, she closed her eyes giving in to his touch. It still makes her knees week after seven months. "You're making it up to me though. Tonight."

"Or," she countered, turning her chair around to face him again. A devious smile on her lips. She reached for his tie, pushing herself back up on her feet. Her hands sliding over the blue piece of fabric. Fixing the dimple, her lips almost brushing against his. "I could make it up to you right now."

He swallowed. Biting his tongue, he tried not to smirk because he wondered if she was joking or not. But she had made these kind of promised more often lately. The way his hands fell to her waist, holding her close already giving his answer away. "I'm listening," he added, when she remained quiet.

She smiled now. Moving closer. Her lips brushing over his cheek. Her breath warm against his skin. "Louis' desk," she whispered in his ear.

He let out a sigh and his hands dropped to side again, he took a step back. "Okay, now you ruined it."

.

He let out a laugh, turning on his side to look at her. Moving closer, he wrapped his arm around her stomach and leaned on his left arm. "Six layers. You can't possibly be serious," he laughed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

She turned her head to look at him. Biting her lip to stop herself from smiling. "Well," she placed her hand on his chest. Tapping against his collarbone. "You did ask me to marry you, so –"

He smiled, pressing his lips against hers. "I did," he whispered, letting his thumb run over her cheek, down her neck to the necklace with the ring. "And you said yes," he added enthusiastically, playing with the ring. His eyes locking with hers again when she nodded, mouthing an 'I did' in return. "Six layers it is," he agreed.

"Ooh."

"What?" Harvey frowned now, pushing himself up further to look at her. "Everything…" he swallowed in the rest of his sentence when she grabbed his hand and placed it on top of her baby bump. A smile forming on his lips in an instant again when he felt the strong ongoing kick. "Wow," he smiled looking at the redhead again. He pushed the covers away and lifted her shirt, seeing the bump move with every kick. He placed his hand on her stomach again, feeling their little boy kick against his hand. "Do you think it's his foot?" he asked then, moving his hand over her stomach. Feeling the baby now kick against his hand again.

"For all we know it could be his butt," she countered looking at him, hearing another laugh escape his lips. She watched Harvey move his hand over her stomach as she felt their baby boy bump against the different spots he placed his hand. "He's playing with you."

He moved his hand, turning to face her again. A huge grin spread across his lips. "He sure is," he smiled, letting his fingers walk over her stomach. She giggled feeling the tapping sensation from both sides against her skin. "Right buddy," he added, placing a kiss on her stomach. Donna smiled, letting her hand slip through his hair, she reached for her phone from the nightstand. Taking a picture of this moment, a flash lighting the room around them.

"What's your mom doing?" he spoke to her stomach then. His eyebrows raised he looked at her from the corner of his eye again. His lips pressed into a thin line, he waited for her to answer.

"Capturing this father and son moment."

.

Louis let out a sigh, closing the monitor of his laptop and looking up when Gretchen stepped into his office. The handle of the glass door still in her hand, the lawyer walked in beside her. "Mr. Litt, I have a Miss –"

"Aren't you in the wrong office?" Louis barked, pushing himself on his feet. His hands landing on the table, the brunette walked further inside, while Gretchen backed out.

"Excuse me?" Dana shot back, dropping her bag on the chair in front of Louis's desk.

"Harvey's office is down the hall," Louis answered, raising his right arm to point in said direction. "Don't you need to go there to get him to win this case for you."

She let out a laugh at his words, her head thrown back in the process. "I'm perfectly aware where Harvey's office is," she countered, stepping closer. "And I," she paused to emphasize the word. "Have never had Harvey win a case for me ever and I'm not going to start now," she added, dropping a file on the desk.

Louis swallowed, looking down at the blue Manila folder. "Okay," he agreed, looking back up at his former colleague. "Good. Cause a lot has changed around here, you know."

"You mean you're now Flipper instead of Moby Goddamn Dick, because that would make winning this case a hell of a lot easier," she teased him.

Louis chuckled in a sigh, remembering the description he'd once given the woman himself. "I meant –"

"That Harvey and Donna are together," Dana interrupted him, finishing his sentence. "I know," she admitted, pulling the other chair back, she sat down. "That's not why I'm here, Louis," she continued. "Or to win this case, which I would by the way," Dana added with a laugh. "But my client wants to settle and I'm here to talk over a deal."

Louis nodded, sitting back down as he reached for the file the other lawyer had brought along with her. "Do you still have that creepy pillow?"

"Of course not."

.

Donna turned around in her chair, searching through the stack of files on her desk for some notes she took earlier that day. Bringing the pencil from her right hand to her lips, she held it in her mouth as she filled her other hand with files. "Dammit where is –"

"Are you looking for this?"

Donna watched the female hand lift a paper from her desk, the voice it came with making drop the files from her own hands. Quickly placing the pencil back, she looked up at the light brown eyes of the brunette. "Dana," she mumbled. "Hi," she added, her head shaking from left to right for a moment as she tried to clear her mind. Her gaze landing on the notes the female lawyer was holding, she took them from her hand. Thanking her in the process. "He isn't here," she spoke then.

"Ooh, I..." Dana started, looking to the empty office on her right. "I just came by to say hi. I have a case against Louis."

Donna nodded, pressing her lips into a soft smile. She pushed herself back on her feet to greet the woman. Her hand automatically resting on her stomach, she knew she had some explaining to do. Her motion didn't go unnoticed to Dana, who looked shocked for a moment even though she already knew. "Ooh, it's true," Dana observed.

Donna nodded. "You didn't see the articles?" she asked then, walking around her cubicle. Her hand falling on the door of Harvey's office. She held it open, waiting for the female lawyer to follow her inside.

"I did," Dana confirmed, holding onto her purse as she made her way to the couch. "You look great," she stated, sitting down when Donna sat down on the chair next to her. Offering her a drink. "Congratulations. I'm sure he's excited about becoming a father."

"He really is," Donna confirmed with a smile, running her hand over her stomach again.

"Probably enrolled the baby at Harvard already."

Donna laughed, looking to her left. "Almost, yes," Donna answered Dana's statement. "And Yale," she added rolling her eyes. "But I stopped him after taking care of kindergarten." Her statement making both women laugh for a moment.

"I'm really happy for you two, Donna," the female lawyer spoke truthfully. "I could have never given that to him."

Donna nodded in understanding, falling silent for a moment after. She wondered how she was going to bring this up. It's not that she had to, but she wanted to explain that even though they had technically been married by the time Dana worked here, they had never actually been together. "About the marriage –"

"He explained."

"I know," Donna nodded, "I just wanted to make sure."

"I understand," Dana smiled softly. "But on another note, shouldn't you be on maternity leave?" the female lawyer asked nodding at the redhead's baby bump. Donna chuckled, letting her hand run over her stomach again. Not even bothering to comment on that statement, both of them knowing a reason why she's still here. "Idiot," Dana mumbled shaking her head, making Donna twitch her lips a little.

"I wouldn't exactly describe me like that."

Both women looked up in the direction of the door, watching the lawyer walk towards them. Harvey removed his hands from the pocket of his pants, extending his hand to Dana. "Scottie," he greeted her, shaking her hand. His left hand resting on Donna's shoulder, placing a kiss on top of her auburn manes as he sat down on the arm rest of the chair she was sitting in. "And for the record, I told her to stay home more than once."

Donna crooked her head, looking at him. A soft smile forming on her lips, when his eyes locked with hers. "But you wouldn't even last a day without me here," she teased him and at the same time vocalising her reason for staying.

"I would," he opposed, the words leaving his lips more hesitatingly than intended.

"I think we all know you wouldn't," Dana stated.

.

Donna stirred around, stretching her aching back for a moment, she let out a sigh. Her hand running over her face, she yawned once more, but she couldn't fall asleep with the way Gordon was moving around. Bringing her hand to her stomach, she moved over the spot Gordon was kicking her. Closing her eyes, she waited for a few more minutes, but the movement didn't decrease.

Opening one eye again, she stared at the small clock on the nightstand. Yawning again when she saw it was four in the morning, she moved her hand to cover Harvey's. Slowly lifting it, she tried not to wake him as she moved to the side of the bed. Her hand pressing against the top of her baby bump again, she moved on her feet and walked herself through their bedroom.

Lifting her silk night robe from lounge chair in the corner. She put it on, pulling the fabric over her shoulders, she tiptoed into the baby room. Her right hand sliding over the crib, she smiled placing her other hand on her stomach again. "Hey pumpkin," she whispered, her hand tapping against the crib for a moment. "I know you're not here yet, but it is Mother's Day today."

She paused for a moment, staring at the stuffed animals in the crib. "And I get that you love to spend that with me, but you know what would be great first gift," she spoke letting her hand run over her stomach again. Still feeling him kick and bounce around. "If you'd let me sleep for a few hours."

She chuckled at her own words, shaking her head, she moved further down the room towards the window. Staring into the night sky, she let her head lean against the cold window. "You know what my mother used to do when I was little and couldn't sleep," she whispered thinking back to her own childhood. "She'd pick me up in her arms and walk me over to the window. Softly swaying me in her arms and she'd tell me to look at the stars," Donna paused for a moment, lifting her gaze at the sky again. "And she'd talk to me, till I fell asleep again."

"It always worked," she smiled. "Can we make that deal too, Gordon?" she asked, looking down at her stomach. "You know pumpkin, that you are… or will be named after your grandfather. You're dad's dad," Donna spoke looking out of the window again. "Gordon Specter. He was a musician, played the saxophone. It's the music your dad secretly put on instead when I made you listen to Hamlet," she laughed for a moment.

"Your grandpa was such an amazing man and I'm sure he would have loved to meet you," she whispered. Letting out a soft sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment. Her other hand resting on her stomach now too. "You know who would love to meet you too. Your grandmother from daddy's side," she paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm not sure when or if that will happen. I haven't seen her in over four years. Your dad maybe even longer than that, because they have been at odds for a long time, but I am sure she would love you, pumpkin. Just like your cousins, she'll love you."

"But you know who will love you even more," she whispered, her hand moving to the spot she last felt the baby bounce around. "Your dad," Donna smiled. "You're so lucky to have him as your father, he's the most amazing man I've ever met. He's incredible loyal, will always protect you and he might look tough, but on the inside he's a cuddly teddy bear with a huge heart."

Harvey smiled at her words, lifting his shoulder from the doorframe. He pushed himself on his feet and stepped inside the baby room. "You forgot someone," he said, walking towards her. His right hand sliding over the small of her back, she turned to face him. His left hand resting next to hers on the bump. "Your mom," he spoke, looking a Donna, a soft smile on his lips he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. Letting his head rest against hers after.

"Harvey," she whispered his name a half apology as she wondered how long he'd been standing there.

"I love you two," he said, turning the redhead around. He wrapped his arms around her. Hugging her as closely as possible, his hand running over her head, he played with her auburn locks. "Donna," he whispered then, pausing for a moment. "About work. You don't have to stay because of me. I'll be fine. I'll manage."

She pulled back a little, her hand moving over his cheek. She crooked her head, looking him in the eye.

"I would," he reassured her, nodding. "And I could always ask Gretchen to help with some things."

"Harvey, Louis is already a handful. You can't make the woman work for both of you."

"You're calling me a handful," he teased her and she pressed her lips together in a small smile. "I'll get a temp."

"You hate working with temps."

"I do," he agreed. "But I'll make it work. I just want you to be okay." She smiled softly at him, looking him in the eye again. He cupped her face, placing a kiss on top of her head. "I'll support whatever you decide, but you don't have to stay because of me."

"I know," she answered, closing her eyes. She let her head rest against his chest. "I'm staying because of me. I don't want to go. Not yet."

"Okay," he gave in, continuing to hold her close. "But maybe you can cut back on the hours."

.

"Donna," he called her name when he sensed her presence. Not even turning around, he continued making her breakfast. She smiled, walking into the living room, crooking her head as she watched him move around in the kitchen. Placing a cup of tea on the tray with the plate of pancakes.

"What's all this?" she questioned, signalling the tray on the kitchen counter.

He crooked his head looking at her. "What? I can't make my fiancée breakfast," he teased her, sliding the tray towards her. She let out a soft laugh, looking down as she repeated the word he hadn't used to describe her before. "Yeah, fiancée," he smiled, reaching for her hand. "But I also learned it is Mother's day today."

"Learned?" she repeated.

He stepped closer, taking her other hand in his too. "Marcus used to remind me every single year and I used to hate him for it," he took a deep breath looking up at her again. "I used to hate this day," he added shaking his head. "But I don't want to anymore, because you're going to be a mother soon."

"Harv."

He reached for the wrapped box next to the tray. "This is from Gordon and me," he told her handing her the small box. "Happy Mother-to-be day."

.

Harvey moved through his office, his gaze lifting to the cubicle outside his office. Spotting Mike linger around the redhead's desk. "Mike, do you have the William Palmer files?" he called him inside, turning around to search for another file on his desk again.

Mike looked to his left, nodding at the redhead. He tapped the files against her desk before he continued his path down to Harvey's office. "I do," he answered, handing the files over to the older lawyer, "and I found out what they want."

"Good," Harvey smiled, quickly scanning over the pages. "Then I need you to go over these," he reached for another folder from his desk.

"It would have to wait, though," Mike objected.

"Why?"

"Because I'm having lunch with Donna," Mike answered looking back at the redhead.

Harvey frowned for a moment, looking up now too. His gaze drifting from Mike to Donna and back to Mike. "Right," he mumbled, dropping the files on his desk. "Please explain why my associate is having lunch with my fiancée?"

"Because," Mike countered instantly, swallowing in the rest of his sentence when he realised what the older man had actually said. "Woah. Wait. Fiancée?" he repeated, now looking at the huge grin on his boss' face. "This is big! This is –"

"Mike."

"Harvey Specter. The former perpetual bachelor, father to be and engaged to be married," Mike summed up, looking at his friend. He suddenly remembered they already were. "Which you already are," he stated then, frowning. "How does that work exactly?"

"Are you done now?" Harvey shot back. "You could just congratulate me that would do."

"Congratulations," Mike answered.

"Thank you."

Both men turned to look at the redhead standing in the door opening, a big grin on her lips too. "What?" she mumbled, when both men frowned for a moment. "I'm getting married too," she added, pointing at herself.

"You bet your ass you are," Harvey smiled.

Donna grinned, crooking her head to look at him for a moment. "I thought you wanted to keep it quiet," she asked then, bobbing her head in Mike's direction.

"Couldn't help myself," Harvey admitted. "It slipped out."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You need to keep it together," she told him with one more look, before she signalled Mike to follow her.

"So emotional," Mike stated, teasing his boss as he walked after Donna.

"I know," she answered the younger man with a smile. "You'd think he was the one that's pregnant."

Harvey let out a sigh. "I heard that," he called after them, reaching for the files again, he walked around his desk again.

Donna grinned. Lifting her purse from her desk. "You were meant to," she shot back, with one last wink in his direction before Mike and Donna made their way over to the elevators.

.

"Jessica," Harvey greeted his fellow name partner when she walked into his office.

"Harvey," she smiled, noticing his good mood, but she wasn't going to comment on it. Not yet.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Jessica shook her head, taking another two steps to his desk. "I was expecting something to be on my desk this morning, but it's not. So I came to see why it isn't."

"I know Mike gave Donna a card for Mother's Day," he started, pushing his chair back as he got up. "But you weren't expecting one from me now, would you? That's something Louis would do."

Jessica laughed, shaking her head. "Now that you mention it," she started. "But no. I was looking for the Birkson briefs."

Harvey frowned for a moment, looking down at his own desk before he remembered. "I gave them to Donna," he mumbled, dropping the papers back on his desk again. Walking his way over to her cubicle. "She must have them here somewhere," he spoke to Jessica as he looked over her desk. Opening the top left desk drawer in the process, his gaze dropped again and his lips curled up.

"What?" Jessica inquired, letting her hands rest on the edge of the cubicle. Waiting for the other lawyer to look back up again.

"Nothing," he answered with a smile, closing the drawer again. His gaze meeting Jessica's he noticed she wasn't going to accept that as answer. "Did you know she always had this drawer filled with memorabilia?" he commented then, continuing his search for the files. Grabbing the blue folder, he handed it to Jessica who merely frowned and waited for him to elaborate.

"I think it was almost a decade ago," he started his explanation. "I was working late. She'd already gone home and I needed a file she had on her desk," he paused for a moment, thinking back to the moment. "I opened the wrong drawer, but inside there was this picture of all of us at New Year's. Some tickets for a play she did and the can opener. I know I wasn't, or am not supposed to look," he spoke looking back up at his mentor. A smile spreading across his face. "She has the sonogram in there now."

.

Donna laughed at Mike's comment. Taking a sip from her tea, she let her gaze drift off for a moment. Another chuckle escaping her lips when she stared out of the window. "What's wrong?" Mike asked, looking at his friend.

Donna smiled, placing her cup back down. "Do you see that bar there," she pointed at the building across the street. Mike turned to look over his shoulder, nodding twice he looked at the redhead again. "That's where I met him."

"Wait what?" Mike mumbled, looking over his shoulder one more time before he faced Donna again. "I thought you two worked together, but you met in a bar?"

Donna nodded. "Well, I'd seen him before at the D.A.'s office and I knew who he was," she smiled. "But yeah. That's where we met."

Mike looked in awe, suddenly realising there was very little he actually knew about the two people he gotten so close to over the past few years. "I didn't know."

Donna smiled softly. "Then you probably also didn't know that I was the one who asked if I could work for him," she spoke.

"Really?" Mike mumbled and Donna nodded. "And Harvey?"

"Harvey," Donna grinned, closing her eyes for a moment she thought back to that night years ago. "Harvey was the one who asked to have sex with me within five minutes," she confessed shaking her head. A soft laugh escaping her lips, reminiscing the moment.

"He said that?"

"Sure did," Donna confirmed with a nod. "Said it saved time," she repeated his words, another laugh escaping her lips. "Took us twelve years instead."

"But now you two have everything," Mike countered.

"We do," she whispered, looking down at her stomach when the baby started to move again. Her left hand falling on the bump, she reached for Mike's hand with her right. "He's kicking. Want to feel it?"

Mike's mouth dropped in surprise. "I can?" he mumbled, but her hand already fell around his wrist. "You sure?" he asked again, but she answered by placing her friend's hand on her baby bump. Smiling when he felt the baby kicking against his hand.

"Of course," she answered with a smile. "You're going to be his godfather after all."

"I … I am?" Mike looked up at Donna. Pulling his hand back, he sat back up in his chair again.

"If you want to be, yes," Donna said. "Harvey and I talked about it and we wanted you to be part of all this, because you're family too."

.

She dropped her purse back on desk. Her head turning to the right, her gaze searching for him, she walked her way over as she didn't see him sitting behind his desk. She found him standing in front of his record player, his hands resting on the table and his gaze stoically directed on the painting above it. She swallowed, quietly walking towards him.

"You okay?"

He nodded once. Swallowing deeply he tore his gaze from the canvas and turned to face her, taking the redhead in his arms without saying a word. Just holding her close for a moment, his chin resting on her shoulder he took in the scent of her hair.

"It's my mom's," he said softly after a minute. "The painting."

"I know."

He frowned for a second, moving back to look at her.

"Your dad told me."

His lips twitched the slightest at the mentioning of his father. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"Because I figured that if you wanted me to know, you'd tell me."

He nodded in understanding, suddenly realising that in all the years she was the only one who'd never questioned why he had the weird painting in the first place and now he knew why. "I was seven when she made that," he spoke, looking at the painting from the corner of his eye again. Taking a deep breath before he continued. "Dad had taken us to a fair and there was this alligator themed roller coaster, the carts looked like that," he pointed at the painting again.

"And I loved it," he spoke a small smile forming on his lips. "First real rollercoaster they let me on. First family holiday we had in a long time, but it was also the last with us as a real family." He paused for a moment, his jaw clenching again as he tried to fight the memories.

"I thought you were –"

"Older?" he guessed, shaking his head. "Yeah, that's when I knew what it was that I saw happening," he spoke. "But I was eight when I saw it for the first time."

Donna swallowed. It pained her to see how much he was struggling with this specific topic, but she also felt incredibly proud for him taking this step and opening up to her about it. She wrapped her arms back around his neck, her fingers slipping through his hair. "I'm so sorry, Harvey."


	39. Chapter 39 - Boston

**Hi everyone. Thank you so much for the reviews, always love reading them. So season 6B.. did you like it? I hoped for more progress, but everything we got was A+ and even though I expected the 'The Donna' story line to be a bit faster, it did result in the type of scene I hoped for and I think it's good the wedding wasn't in this half yet, cause for me they've been hinting it with Darvey so much..now we really have something to look forward for (besides Harvey supporting Donna). So my last update was before the show returned and as you may have guessed from the last chapter, it's because this story was going towards Harvey meeting his mother too. So f** **or this chapter I tried to rewrite 6.12 into this fic (so some parts are similar to the show).**

 **Enjoy & please leave a review. Love to read your thoughts. x - M**

* * *

 **Chapter 39 : BOSTON**

He crooked his head, watching her for a moment. The smile spread across her lips warming his heart, he hummed when she paused in the middle of her sentence. He brought his hands to his tie, undoing the knot and pulling the piece of maroon fabric through the side. He placed it on the cabinet.

"Are you even listening?"

His thoughts are interrupted for a moment and he found her staring at him with her big hazel eyes. "Yes," he answered then. "Of course I am," he reassured her, now moving on to the buttons of his shirt. Quickly undoing them, he pulled his arms out of the sleeves from this dress shirt. "You said the suitcases are packed," he added the moment he noticed her head starting to tilt and he grinned now that he saw a tiny hint of surprise on her face. "I can multitask too," he stated, opening the buckle of his belt, kicking his shoes off at the same time.

She laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "That would be a first, mister."

He raised his eyebrow, challenging her statement while discarding his suit pants. "Really?" he started again, his feet starting to make his way to the bed. He pulled the duvet aside, his left knee sliding over the matrass as he moved closer to her, his other leg finding its place between hers. One hand resting on the headboard he hovered above her. "How about that time I –"

"Okay," she gave in, not letting him finish his sentence. Her hand falling against his bare chest. "Okay," she whispered again, feeling her lips curl up as her gaze dropped to his signature grin. Absentmindedly wetting her lips, she tilted her head back a little. Her eyes locking with his and he moved closer, his lips brushed against hers in a quick kiss. He pulled back, letting his head lean against hers, his gaze still directed on her lips.

"You also said the tickets are on the kitchen counter."

His breath warm against her lips, she hummed. Breathing him in, she brought her right hand to his face. Her fingers caressed his cheek and slipped through his hair after. "We have to get up early," she whispered, finally tearing her gaze from his lips, she stared into his deep brown eyes again.

"I know," he answered, letting out a breath. His nose trailed over her cheek, his lips leaving feather light kisses from the corner of her mouth to the corner of her jaw. He adjusted himself to sit next to her, pulling her against his chest with one last kiss on the top of her head. "I'm glad you're coming with me this long weekend."

"You'd miss me too much if I didn't."

He chuckled, humming to agree with her statement. He tilted his head towards her a little, placing a soft kiss next to her eye he let his lips linger there for a while. "And it would just be boring," he added.

She bit her lower lip, trying to stop herself from smiling. "Ooh come on," she nudged his chest with her shoulder. "Sheila Sazs is –" she swallowed in the rest of her sentence when he chuckled and she could feel his head dropping to her shoulder. She shook her head lightly, not wanting to laugh too. "Really," she just whispered, she kept her gaze ahead. Afraid she'd give in to his laughter if she looked at him.

He sucked on his bottom lip for a moment, placing a kiss on her shoulder before he answered. "I mean. Who has a name like that," he muttered, letting his lips ghost over her exposed skin to the base of her neck. "It's weird."

She tilted her head to the left a little, a soft moan escaping her lips as she gave in to his kisses. "Well," she tried, closing her eyes for a moment a shiver ran down her spine. "You need to be careful," she added, her right shoulder moving up and down as he hummed against her skin. "You can't start laughing during your meeting with her."

"Hmmm," he breathed, his right hand now tracing her collarbone and tugging on the sheet she had wrapped around her.

"Harv."

"Uhum," he mumbled.

"Stop staring at my boobs," she whispered, biting her tongue when she heard him sigh a little. His finger coming to a halt when it reached the sheet again. His nose pressed into her cheek.

"I'm not," he tried, stopping himself from kissing her neck again in the lame attempt to make his words sound somewhat believable.

"Yes you are."

He groaned, giving in. "Fine," he mumbled, his lips attacking her neck once more and she grinned. "But. I. Can't. Help. It," he added in between pecks, his right hand moving to the sheet again. "They're so big."

She laughed loudly now, shaking her head. Fighting his fingers that played with the sheets, she eventually managed to lift his hand completely, placing it on her baby bump instead. "They've gotten big, thanks to you mister," she countered, her fingers tapping against the back of his hand.

He shook his head. "They've always been big," he stated. She rolled her eyes at his comment, turning her head to look at him. A laugh escaped her lips and her eyes closed when she spotted that Specter smirk again. "Do you have a name for them?"

"What?" she shot back almost instantly, her eyes widened and she just frowned looking at him. "Wait what?"

He laughed at her reaction. "Isn't that what women do?" he countered, sporting a frown now too. "Name them?" he added, with a bob of his head in the direction of her chest.

She was still flustered by his remark and yes, she had heard about it before, in movies or something. But never in real life, with any of her friends. "Well," she muttered. "Not me."

"Can I?"

She giggled now, still staring at him. She turned to face him a bit more. "You... You want to name my…" she paused, not even getting the word over the lips in this moment. Her eyes closed again when he flashed her that smile she couldn't resist, her teeth scraping over her lower lip she looked at him again. "Okay. Fine. Go ahead."

"Good," he beamed, immediately sitting up straight. "Well then that's," he pointed at her left breast, "is whipped cream and the other is –"

"Whipped cream?" she repeated in a laugh, slapping his hand away. Their fingers entangling in the process as their hands landed on her baby bump again. "I wonder how you came up with that," she teased him with a shake of her head.

He grinned, biting the inside of his cheek. "No clue," he shrugged. "Just something that popped into mind."

"Right," she challenged him, her eyes locking with his again. Both of them stayed quiet for a moment, her lips twitched she tried not to smile and he did the same. "And you can name them that fast?" she whispered to confront him, but all it made her do was drop her mouth as realisation hit her. "Wait a second," she looked up at him, the sparkle in his eyes already confirming the words she had yet to pronounce. "You've always had names for them."

"Guilty."

She shook her head and broke their gaze again. "You're impossible," she mumbled and he grinned even brighter now, because she always used those exact words when she was trying to be mad at him for something, but couldn't.

"Well," he started, his tongue licking his lip. "In my defence, they're always in my face."

Her mouth dropped again. "Covered in clothes," she added.

"Doesn't mean I'm blind."

She crooked her head, her eyebrows raised for a moment and he swallowed, letting out a sigh as he already knew what she was referring to. "You're weird," she shot back, leaning against his shoulder. "And you're lucky I already said yes to marrying you, because –"

"Ooh, really," he interrupted her sentence when he remembered some of her remarks. "Miss… What was it again... Ooh look at that, finally an office big enough for your balls," he mimicked her voice.

She opened her mouth, but a comment lacked. She huffed instead, faking annoyance for a moment before she let her head lean against his shoulder. "What can I say," she whispered then, her hand sliding over the top of her stomach again. "We're quite the pair."

He smiled at her words, pressing a kiss on top of her head. His right hand lifting the sheet ever so slightly. "Now that's a pair," he commented.

"Specter," she laughed looking at him again. Her left hand reached for his face and he merely grinned when she pulled him closer. "Shut up," she just managed to whisper before her kissed her again.

.

.

 _He stepped through the gate and looked up to the white pergola for a moment. Trying to fight the tears that had been forming in his eyes. It had been a year since his father passed away and he still thought about his old man every single day. Even if he didn't let himself feel the pain off his father's loss. Biting his lip, his gaze dropped to the bottle in his hand again and he turned it over in his hand._

 _His lips trembled and he took a deep breath. His right hand tapped against the pocket of his coat, just to make sure he had brought the two little shot glasses with him, before his feet carried him over the graveyard to one of the newest stones at the cemetery. Passing the large tree, he turned to his left without much thought._

 _Aware of the fact his father's grave had to be in sight by now, he slowly lifted his gaze. His feet immediately coming to a halt when he caught a glimpse of an older woman placing flowers in front of the stone. His gaze narrowing, his assumptions soon confirmed when the woman looked in his direction._

" _Harvey?" his mother mumbled, shaking her head in confusion as both adults stared at the other. Words lacked, he remained silent. Frozen to the ground, he was unable to walk away, unable to look away either. He watched his mother coming closer. "It's good to see you," she spoke, her lips pressed into a thin smile._

" _I wish I could say the same thing, Lily. What are you doing here?" he shot back and he directed his gaze to the ground. His right hand gripping the shot glasses through the fabric of his coat. He needed something to hold onto something to stop his hands from balling into fists._

" _Well I'm sorry to hear that, Harvey," she added her son's name again, waiting a second before he glanced in her direction again. Both of them swallowing, she continued. "Whether you believe me or not I loved your father."_

 _He swallowed, tearing his gaze from her to his father's grave right behind her. He shook his head once, looking down at the ground again._

" _And I know our marriage didn't work out and you consider me a failure because of that," she spoke, swallowing. "I did too, but a few years after we got divorced I apologised to him and he just smiled and said what the hell are you talking about? We achieved something together that neither one of us could have done on our own," Lily paused, crooking her head a little she looked at her son again. "You and Marcus."_

 _His jaw clenched and he swallowed, fighting the tears. His teeth pressing into his lip he looked up for a moment, his gaze meeting the watery eyes of his mother._

" _He was so proud of the two of you, Harvey," Lily added. "You two were his everything."_

 _He broke then. His eyes closed and his head bobbed down again, a tear slipping down his cheek. His grip on the bottle loosened and it slipped from his fingers, falling to the ground. Shattering into tiny pieces just like his heart in that very moment._

 _Lily swallowed too. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she stretched her hand in his direction but didn't fully reach for him. Too much happened between them over the last decade. She pronounced his name instead. "Harvey when my parents died, I felt like I was completely alone in the world and I don't want you to feel that way. I want you to know that whether you want me in your life or not, you still have a mother that loves you and will always be there for you."_

 _He lifted his head again. Pressing his lips into a thin line, the corners of his mouth twitching on purpose. "I know that," he answered, remaining silent as he watched his mother give him a faint smile in return._

" _Harvey."_

 _He turned to the side, feeling like a truck hit him when he spotted the man he had only seen once since that family dinner he walked out on. His throat drying up and his blood starting to boil, he shook his head. "Are you kidding me?" he barked, tearing his gaze from Bobby to his mother. "You brought him here?" he added, pointing at the other man._

" _Harvey," Lily tried._

" _I said –"_

" _You have the nerve to bring him here?" he added, shaking his head in disgust._

" _He's my partner," Lily answered calmly._

" _Is that what you call every guy you slept with while you were with dad?" he countered._

" _Don't speak to me like that," Lily shot back. "Bobby and I are still together," she explained bobbing her head to the man next to her, the words at the same time defending her actions._

 _Harvey almost let out a laugh in disbelief. "You think I give a shit."_

" _You should because it shows what kind of man I am," Bobby mixed himself into the argument now._

" _You're a piece of shit," Harvey countered, pointing at the man. "And you have no right to be here."_

" _Harvey please," Lily begged taking a step forward, her arms almost reaching for her son. "We were just about –"_

" _Yeah, I don't care what we were about to do," he fired back, pulling his arm aside, taking two steps back from the woman he once called his mother. "You spit in Dad's face by bringing him here," he added, signalling Bobby once more._

" _It's okay," Bobby spoke softly. "Lily, I'll go and wait in the car."_

" _I don't care whether you stay or not."_

" _No, well. I do," Lily countered. "He's staying, because you may not want to hear this, but your father accepted him a long time ago."_

" _You know what?" Harvey fired back, looking at Bobby this time. "You want to take his place, Bobby?" he shouted, pointing at the grave. "Why don't you go right ahead? Maybe one day you'll even walk in on her with another guy and you'll know exactly what my father felt. The only difference will be at least then I won't be asked to keep the goddamn secret."_

.

.

She shifted on the red couch, her gaze drifted off to the man sitting next to her. She observed him for a few minutes in complete silence. Her hand brushed over his knee then, squeezing his leg for the tiniest of moments. "You okay?" she whispered.

He shook his head, his thoughts broken and he slowly turned to face her again. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I'm fine," he added, pressing his lips into a thin line. He brought his left hand to cover hers resting on his knee. She just continued looking at him, her head slowly crooking, she raised one eyebrow in return to question his response. "I uhm... I was just thinking about the last time I saw my mother."

She swallowed. Giving him a small smile, she turned her hand over and let his digits slip between hers. No further words spoken, she just held his hand as a sign of her being there for him. He turned to face her a tad more, leaning to his left he pressed his lips against her temple.

Both remained quiet for a moment. Her head resting against his chest, his head leaning against hers. He observed the other passengers on the train, a small smile formed on his lips as he watched two kids run by. The latter holding a baseball glove in his hand, the image reminding him of his own younger self. "I'm going to teach him that," he whispered then. His words making her look at him again. "Just like my dad taught me baseball," he added.

Donna smiled at Harvey, leaning back against his chest. She placed her free hand on her baby bump. "He likes it," she whispered, her words making him laugh softly.

"Good."

.

He pulled their suitcases into the elevator. Holding the door as he waited for the redhead to enter, crooking his head he studied the expression on her face. The way she frowned, had her arms crossed and deliberately leaned against the opposing elevator wall. "It's a surprise," he tried again, pushing the button of the 11th floor.

"Not fair," she whispered, faking annoyance she redirected her gaze to the ground. Trying to look at her feet, her mouth dropping when she for the first time really realised she wasn't able to see them anymore.

He chuckled, shaking his head at her reaction. He noticed the changed expression on her face then. "What's going on?" he asked still staring at her

"My feet," she mumbled, looking up at him again. "I … I can't see them anymore."

He grinned a soft laugh escaping his lips, he made his way to the other side of the elevator. His hand brushed over her cheek, tilting her head the slightest to make her look at him. "You're feet are fine," he whispered. "Still look great," he added, his eyes started to sparkle and he gave her a quick kiss.

"They're fat," she countered with a shake of her head. Her lips turning into a pout.

He crooked his head, shaking it too. "You're perfect," he smiled, moving his hand down her arm. He squeezed her hand when the elevator doors opened again. "Come on," he bobbed his head in the direction of the doors, stepping aside so he could let her through. His hand tapping her butt twice, she squealed looking over her shoulder. He just showed her his Specter smirk and followed her with the suitcases in tow.

"Harveeeey," she chirped turning around on her heels in front of the door. She waited for him to hand her the card, both of them entering the Parkview suite soon after.

"It's still a surprise," he answered before she could even pronounce the rest of her sentence and he grinned when he heard her sigh again. Letting go of the suitcases he walked up to her again. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her from behind. Settling his chin in the crook of her neck, his lips brushed against her skin.

"No," she mumbled, wiggling herself out of his embrace.

"What?"

She turned around again, half surprised by her own actions. Her lips still parted she grinned then. "You don't get to kiss me if you don't tell me where you're taking me," she countered, standing up straight again she saw him swallow and she knew she got his attention now. She scanned the room for a moment, her gaze landing on the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower," she stated then, lifting her shirt over her head in front of him. Throwing it aside on the bed next to them, he walked around her. Shaking his head and sitting down on her side of the bed. She bit her lip, her hands moving to her pants, she moved her thumbs under the heavy fabric.

"It's not going to work," he countered. Leaning back on his hands.

She turned around, pushing her pants and underwear down in one go for as well as she could. "I beg to differ," she countered. Wiggling with her hips to let the fabric slide down her legs. She stepped out of the pool of clothes, her hand now undoing the clasp of her bra. She removed the piece of black lace. Holding it up, she seductively grinned at him. "Your loss," she added, with a raise of one perfectly sculptured eyebrow. She dropped her bra to the floor and walked further into the adjacent bathroom.

He let out a groan, dropping himself back on the matrass.

She turned on the tap, stepping under the ray of warm water. Her head tilting backwards and her eyes closing. She counted in her head. _One, Two, Three, Four, Five._

"God. Woman," he sighed, pushing himself back up on his feet as he had already lost this bet. His own clothes soon being discarded on the floor, he walked towards the shower. Letting out a deep breath, his last chance of not giving in, but she sensed his presence and looked over her shoulder in his direction. A triumphant smile spread across her lips. He swallowed and stepped forward then, joining her in the shower. His hand ghosting her skin, she already shivered at his proximity.

"Harvey," she warned him.

"Fine. I was going to show you Harvard and we're going to the Wang theatre afterwards," he mumbled, his hand sliding over her waist the second the words had left his lips. He turned her to face him, her hands landed on his chest, the baby bump bumped against his stomach and a laugh escaped her lips. "You win," he whispered, leaning forward he closed the distance between them.

.

He held her hand, guiding her over the campus he once called home almost two decades ago. "And this," he pointed at the building on their left, "is Gannett House. Harvard Law Review is housed here." She nodded, looking around the little park and the several buildings in the distance. The location being beautiful, she couldn't help but feel a little out of place.

He noticed how she stayed quiet for a moment. "Anyway… None of this really matters," he tugged on her hand. "And honestly… I'm pretending this is a tour because I have to find Sheila's office tomorrow and I don't think I ever set foot in that building," he added and she smiled softly. "But mostly I wanted to show you something," he added pulling on her hand. He signalled another building with his head and he walked both of them over to the campus shop.

She frowned for a moment, just following his movements when his hand slipped from hers and he made his way through the little shop. "Harvey. What are you doing?"

He turned around, holding up a little white onesie with Harvard written on it in dark red letters. A big grin on his lips, he signalled her baby bump with his hand.

She let out a laugh. Rolling her eyes for a second as she looked to the side. Finally walking towards him. "You want to get this?" she whispered.

He nodded, reaching for another larger shirt. "And one for you," he added handing her the shirt. She took it from his hands. Letting the larger part of the fabric dangle down, she observed the large shirt. She questioned his words. Crooking her head.

"You always slept in one of my old shirts," he smirked, his hand reaching for her stomach. "But this one isn't letting you anymore, so..." he paused, smirking.

She bit her tongue, trying to stop herself from laughing. "So you'd rather have me sleep in a t-shirt than," she paused, dropping her gaze at the t-shirt in her hands again. She continued in a whisper. "Than a night gown," the words sounding almost unbelievable to herself. Her eyes locking with his again, he just smiled.

"Well, I'd rather have you wear nothing at all."

"Ooh," she playfully pushed his chest. "You're impossible. "

.

She turned her head, leaning on the arm rest of the couch she studied him for a minute. The way he buttoned his crispy white dress shirt, his hands now reached for the grey tie she picked out for him when he was packing their bags. A soft giggle escaped her lips then, she pushed herself back on her feet. "Come here," she spoke, her eyes meeting his in the mirror.

He grinned, slowly turning on his heel before he walked himself over to his redhead. His hands still holding onto the silk material as he held both ends out for her to reach. She smiled back, bringing her hands behind his neck, lifting the collar of his shirt, her fingers now trailing down the grey tie until she reached his hands. He let go then, holding her at her waist instead while she fixed his tie.

Moving on to fix his hair he whispered her name in some attempt of objection, but she continued anyway. "Now you're ready," she whispered, letting her hands rest on his chest, she could feel his heart beating under her fingertips and it reminded her of the strong kicks their baby boy would give her from time to time. He sighed, his hands fidgeting with the fabric of her shirt.

She crooked her head and her eyes locked with his again. "You're going to be late." He nodded. Reluctantly letting go of her, he reached for his jacket and put it on. His lips curling up again when she smiled at him once more, she walked him over to the door. "Late," she reminded him, her hand already reaching for the doorknob.

"We're going to do something special tonight," he answered, stepping closer. His left hand cupping her face, he leaned in and quickly kissed her. The moment somehow still took her by surprise and if anything, the roles had just turned. She now looked at him as he stepped aside. Her eyes pleading and he stalled for a moment, taking a step back, he quickly kissed her again. Her hands pressed against his chest again. "I know," he mumbled. "I need to go, I'll be back soon," he added before he finally made his way out of the door.

.

He walked into the restaurant, looking around for a moment before he spotted his brother right in front of the bar. A small smile appearing on his lips, he took another three steps. "Hey, who do you have to know around here to get a good table?"

Marcus instantly dropped the pen on the reservation book at the sound of his brother's voice. Turning around, he stared at the familiar face for a moment. "Ooh Jesus Christ," he mumbled. "Do my eyes deceive me or do you look just like my big brother."

Harvey smiled.

"Three times in less than half a year," Marcus countered. "If I'd known before that this was the result of you being with Donna, I would have pushed you two more."

Harvey shook his head. A laugh escaping his lips. "It's good to see you too, Marcus," he countered, giving his brother a hug.

"You too, loser," Marcus smiled, still in awe of seeing his own brother in his restaurant. "Why are you in town?"

"Had a meeting at Harvard this morning," he answered, bringing his right hand to his head. His fingers brushed through his hair for a moment. "And I was thinking that Donna has never actually been to this restaurant before. So I thought maybe you have a table for us?"

"Donna's in Boston too?" Marcus asked and Harvey answered with a simple nod. "Then why don't you two cancel whatever fancy bullshit hotel you booked, have dinner with us and stay at our place," Marcus suggested instead. "And don't even think about saying no, cause I'm going to tell Katie and the kids that you two are here."

Donna turned over another page of the book she brought along. The content not really catching her interest anymore, she read the same paragraph for the third time before she decided it wasn't going to work. Tossing the paperback to the other end of the couch, she lay herself down and let her hand run over her stomach when she felt their baby move around again.

"Yeah, I miss your dad too," she whispered, playing with the dark red fabric of the shirt he had bought her the day before. She reached for her phone then, checking the time she wondered how long his meeting was going to take but she decided a simple text message couldn't hurt.

Harvey smiled at his younger brother. Feeling his phone buzz, he pulled it out. His eyes lighting up the second he realised it was from the redhead and he couldn't help but grin at the picture of her baby bump in the Harvard t-shirt he'd given her the day before with the message that they missed him.

Marcus noticed the change in Harvey's already good mood. "What?" he asked curious.

Harvey looked up from his screen again, removing the phone from the prying eyes of his younger brother. He just smiled, ignoring Marcus' question. "We'll be there," he answered instead.

.

Marcus hummed, pressing the phone between his ear and his shoulder. He made his way through the kitchen, already reaching for the cutting boards. "Yeah I know," he answered, now moving on to another drawer. "Maybe it's best if you don't stop by tonight," he suggested, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Harvey shifted his weight on his other leg, walking into the kitchen he noticed the semi-shocked expression on his brother's face and the way the call was ended quickly after. "Who was that?" he inquired, letting his hands rest on the kitchen sink.

"You know who."

Harvey swallowed when the look in his brother's eyes was all that was needed to confirm his assumptions, his gaze dropped to the counter top. "You told her not to come," he repeated the words Marcus had used not even a minute ago. "Why?"

Marcus let out a nervous laugh. His hand brought to his head, he slipped it through his hair. "Seriously, Harvey?" he shook his head. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to explain a six year old that grandma and uncle Harvey can't be in the same room together?"

Harvey swallowed once more and his nostrils widened for a moment. He didn't comment, but let his gaze remain on the counter instead.

"And you saw how excited they were to see you again," Marcus continued. "I'm not going to take that away from them or let them choose between their uncle and grandmother." Harvey bit his tongue, but looked up at those words, making Marcus' kids choose had never been his intention. "And you might not want to hear it, but she's going to be the grandmother of your kid soon too," Marcus stated, just looking at his brother. "Maybe it's time –"

"It's time for what?" Donna asked as she stepped into the kitchen with the two brothers. She instantly walked over to Harvey, her hand slipping over his back as the man merely nodded at Marcus. A silent moment shared between the two men.

"For Harvey to set the table," Marcus answered instead. Turning around again, he opened a cabinet and reached for six plates. Harvey took them from his brother's hand, giving Donna a small smile. He walked her back to the dining room.

.

Marcus leaned against the armrest of his couch, his head automatically turning towards the door when his older brother remerged in the living room. Marcus reached for the second bottle of beer on the coffee table. "Want one?" he asked, already holding it up.

"You kidding me," Harvey shot back taking the bottle from him. Removing the cap, he walked around the table to the couch. "After reading pinkalicious for the seventh time, I need a six pack," he joked, letting himself fall down on the couch as well.

Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. Holding his bottle up to toast with his brother, both men took a sip in silence and Harvey let the bottle in his hand rest on the armrest afterwards. "It was nice putting them to bed," Harvey admitted then with a smile.

"Ooh yeah," Marcus agreed with a nod. "Well soon you'll have to do hat 365 days a year, let's see if you still say it then," he teased his older brother.

Harvey laughed now, closing his eyes he could already picture it. "Can't wait."

"Good answer," Donna smiled after she overheard the last few comments both men made. She walked along the couch, her hand squeezing Harvey's shoulder for a moment. He looked up at her instantly, a big grin forming on his lips when his eyes locked with hers.

Marcus grinned for a moment himself, watching the little exchange between the couple.

Donna tried to fight another yawn, but couldn't. Bringing her hand to cover her mouth, she looked at Harvey with tired eyes. "I think I'm going to sleep," she stated and he pressed his lips together in a small smile, squeezing her hand. She leaned forward, giving him a quick kiss on his lips before she wished everyone a good night.

"I'll be there soon," Harvey whispered, letting go of her hand. "Finish my beer," he added signalling the bottle.

"Goodnight, Donna," Marcus answered his sister-in-law when the redhead left the room. Leaving both brothers and Katie behind in the living room.

.

Harvey quietly made his way to the guest room. Closing the door behind him as softly as possible, he could still see her stir in bed a little. Discarding his clothes on the chair in the corner, he lifted the covers and crawled into bed next to her, his right arm moving over her waist to hold her close. Knowing she was still awake, he hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. Mumbling a goodnight again.

"Harvey," she whispered in return, letting her hand run over his on her stomach. She turned around in his embrace, trying to face him. He lifted his arm, helping her find a new position and he hummed. "You know I'll always be there for you and support you," she whispered. "But Marcus is right."

"It's time for you to make things right with your mother," she added in a whisper and she could hear him swallow at the mention. "Not just for our pumpkin, but for you." She added letting her hand move over his chest as her eyes closed again. "Please, go see her."

He bit his lip, a verbal answer lacking, but pressed a kiss on top of her head instead. Just holding her close, hoping she could analyse his answer from his gesture.

.

Harvey turned around in bed again, his arm sliding over the empty spot next to him and he let out a groan. Opening one eye to take in the absence of his redhead. He rolled over to her side of the bed then, buried his face in the pillow to take in her scent as he slowly woke up. Taking in his brother's guest room, he pushed himself up, leaning against the headboard and he wondered where his redhead was, but before he could call her name, he heard the door open and his gaze drifted off to the side.

His lips slowly curling up when she walked towards him. Her long and vibrant auburn lock loosely cascading her shoulders, he grinned when he noticed she was once again wearing the shirt he bought her two days before. "Morning, Mr. Specter," she whispered with a soft smile, walking around the bed and he let out a laugh at the tone she used to greet him.

"Morning, beautiful," he answered crooking his head as he followed her every move. She handed him the cup of coffee before she sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. Her left arm leaning on his thigh, she watched him take a sip from his coffee. He hummed in appreciation, because as good as his brother was with food and his own restaurant. The best coffee he ever tasted still the one she always makes him.

He smiled softly, the way she was looking at him warming his heart and he realised in that moment, exactly how lucky he was to have her in his life. Leaning to the side, he placed the cup away on the nightstand and moved closer to her. His left hand brushing over her cheek, he brought her closer. His lips covering hers in a gentle kiss, his fingers slipping through her hair, he kissed her once more before he pulled back again. His eyes locking with hers again, both of them smiled.

"That was nice," she whispered and his lips twitched a little. "God, I miss coffee," she added with a sigh sitting back up then and he chuckled once, shaking his head.

"Was that all that was nice?" he asked teasing her and she smiled.

"Maybe," she countered, her left hand squeezing his knee, she just looked at him for a moment. "I'm going to the park with Katie and the kids this morning," she spoke softly. "Will you join us or …" she stalled seeing him take a deep breath. "Hey, what's the problem?"

He sighed once more, looking down at her hand on his leg. "I haven't seen the woman in years and last time –"

"I know what happened last time," she whispered, her fingers drawing soothing circles over his leg. "Listen to me. Every day you go in the world and you find a way to win. It's what you do. It's who you are. It's one of the million reasons I fell in love with you."

"Donna," he mumbled, swallowing thickly once. "This isn't about winning," he added shaking his head.

She pressed her lips into a thin line, her right hand moving to his cheek. She made him look at her again. "Yes it is. But it's not just one person in this case, it's two, and right now you're both losing."

He crooked his head, leaning into her touch. "What if I can't do it?" he asked, looking at her.

"Then come with us to the park," she answered. "But you opening up to me about her these past few weeks tells me you are ready to forgive her and if you are, that's all you need to do."

.

Harvey observed the lockers on either side of the wall as he slowly made his way through the college hallway. He took a deep breath before he turned on his heels, looking to his right when he spotted his mother from the corner of his eye. He silently watched her for a moment, his breath faltering when the woman turned around and spotted him too.

"Harvey," he heard her call his name as she moved closer. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he answered, his hands clenching to fists for the briefest of moments before he relaxed them again. Now taking a few steps towards her too.

"I can't believe it," the woman spoke enthusiastically, taking her glasses from her face. "This is wonderful."

"I thought maybe you want to get dinner tonight."

Lily smiled, nodding her head up and down a few times. "Of course, I will," she answered with a smile and Harvey swallowed, for a moment taken aback by the ease of this conversation. An awkward silence fell between them and he nodded at last, not entirely sure what else to say.

Harvey watched his mother nod in return too. The school bell going off breaking their moment, he looked away again. Noticing the kids entering the classroom he faced his mother once more. "Eight o'clock?"

Lily smiled softly, repeating the time her son suggested. "See you tonight."

.

Donna wrapped her hands around the warm cup of tea Katie handed her, before they sat down on the little bench in the middle of the park. Both of them chatting and watching the kids run around from a distance. "The kids can't wait for their niece of nephew to be born," Katie stated then and Donna smiled at the brunette. "Especially Emily," Katie added, "she couldn't stop talking about it after Christmas."

"Just a little longer," Donna answered, looking down at her stomach. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Him?" Katie repeated in surprise, so far she hadn't heard either of them mention the baby's gender. "Do you have a name yet?"

Donna bobbed her head up and down. "Yes we do," she answered taking another sip from her cup of tea. She wasn't going to elaborate on the name, but her attention to the conversation was lost when she noticed him from the corner of her eye.

Watching his niece run towards him, he lifted his hands from his pockets and lifted the six-year-old girl up in his arms. "Hey little monster," he greeted her with a hug. "I'm going to your mom and Aunt Donna," he spoke, "do you want to come with me or go back to play with your brother?"

"Play," Emily chirped.

"Okay," he answered, bending through his knees he placed the girl back on the ground. Watching her for a moment as she ran off to the swings, he got back up again and made his way over to the two women. His eyes immediately locking with hers, he could read the questions she had in them in a beat. He softly smiled as his first answer.

"Hey," Donna whispered, pushing herself up from the bench. She gave Katie a smile, before she took a step towards him. "How did it go?" she asked in anticipation.

"It went well," he replied, his lips curling up a bit further. "I'm going to meet her for dinner tonight."

Her mouth dropped for a moment, but fell back into a proud and genuine smile soon after. Her hand reached for his, she interlaced their fingers. "I'm happy for you," she added, bringing her free hand around his neck, she pulled him into a hug. "Do you want me to join?" she asked, letting her hand slide down his arm again. Her eyes locking with his again.

"I would," he smiled, "but –"

"I'll be there next time," Donna suggested and he smiled for a moment.

"How can you be so sure there will be a next time?" he asked then, with a shrug if his shoulders. "It might go wrong. I might screw things up."

She shook her head, letting out a soft sigh before she looked him in the eye again. "Because I have faith in you."

.

His eyes roaming over the menu in his hands, he took another deep breath. The silence starting to become too much, he needed to say something. Anything. "So," he mumbled unsure, the situation feeling a little bit weird. He tried to focus on the piece of paper in his hand again right after the first word had left his lips. Not sure if he was ready for the conversation yet, he decided to start with small talk and in this case the food. "What's good here?"

Lily looked up again, placing the menu down. "Actually, everything's good here."

He took one last look at the menu, placing it down too. "You eat here a lot?"

"Of course I do," Lily answered, both of them remaining silent for a moment when a waitress came to bring their drinks. Lily chuckled nervously then, removing her glasses again. "This… This feels strange, doesn't it," she spoke looking at her son again.

"Yeah," he mumbled looking down for a second. "Little bit."

"So Harvey, where do we start?"

He swallowed again, shifting in his chair for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. His head crooking to the side, he couldn't meet her eye yet. _Because I have faith in you._ He reminded himself of the words Donna had spoken to him earlier today. "I guess we start with me telling you, I'm ready to forgive you," he explained, his gaze meeting his mother's at last. He swallowed once more, waiting for her response.

Lily gasped for air, biting her lip as she took in this moment. "Why now?" she asked almost in disbelief.

Harvey let out a breath, his teeth scraping over his bottom lip as he thought over his answer for a moment. It mostly being a combination of things, but he settled on the most important one. The news still unknown to his mother. "Because I'm going to be a father soon," he replied, pressing his lips into a thin line, but he couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth tug into a smile. "And I want my son to get to know his grandparents from both sides, not just his mom's."

Lily's eyes teared up a little at the news and all she could do was give him a soft smile. She knew he had finally settled down, his six-year-old niece being quite enthusiastic about her new redheaded aunt. She just hadn't expected this new and she was still overwhelmed with the fact he actually told her this news in person. "That's wonderful, Harvey. Congratulations to you and Donna," she answered. Harvey gave Lily a small smile, but crooked his head regardless. He hadn't mentioned the redhead, yet she already seemed to know whom he was expecting a child with. "I've always known Donna was very special to you even if you weren't able to see that yet. Your father knew too."

Harvey swallowed at the mention of his old man, but smiled at last. "She is," he agreed.

"And I want you to know," Lily continued speaking calmly as she was still taking in the news her son had just shared with her. "That I forgive you too."

His mouth dropped a little, his eyes widening when he registered her words. "Forgive me," he repeated, his head slowly shaking. "For what?"

"For the last time I saw you and for you being gone all those years," Lily answered.

"I had my reasons to be gone," he replied, his right hand falling around his left, trying to stay calm.

"Yes, you did, when you were younger," Lily agreed. "But you're not a child anymore, and you haven't been for a long time," she added shaking her head.

He looked away and shook his head. Biting his lip as he listened to her, trying everything inside him to not get bothered by her statement, but he couldn't. "I can't believe you," he countered. "You're turning this around on me?" he added, emphasising the last word.

"I'm not turning it around, Harvey," Lily spoke, leaning forward. Her hands briefly lifted from the table. "You have no idea what it's like to have a child who acts like you don't even exist."

"You don't know what it's like to have a mother who asks you to lie to his own father for her."

"Harvey," she used his name again. "I never should have done that and I have been trying to tell you I am sorry about it for 20 years," she spoke and he sighed, tearing his gaze away again. "But until yesterday, you showed absolutely no sign of wanting me in your life. Can't you understand how that could devastate a person?"

"I can understand how this was just a mistake," he answered with a shrug, his lips pressed together in a thin line he shook his head. "Because you are the same selfish, self-centred, disloyal woman you always were."

"And you are the same self-absorbed, childish man you always were," Lily answered immediately

"Well, whose fault is that?" he countered, pushing his chair back.

"Oh," Lily scoffed, watching her son get up. "There you go. Leave. That's what you do best."

Her words made his stall around the table for a moment, it being the exact thing he always hated her for and why he had so much trouble connecting to other people. The fear of them leaving him again. "What'd you just say to me?"

"I said take a look in the mirror, Harvey," Lily continued as she remained seated. "Because I may have neglected my family in the past, but you've been doing it for as long as I can remember."

His jaw clenched and his eyes closed for a moment. Shaking his head, he walked off as fast as he could.

.

.

 _He let out a laugh when one of the security guards gave him a questioning look, pretending to be fine as he made his way through the lobby. Maybe it was for the best that it was late at night with close to zero people to run into. He didn't look like a junior partner in his current state or like he belonged inside this building at all for that matter._

 _He just about managed to find the button of the fiftieth floor as he let his body slump against the wall. The blurred reflection in the metal cladding an accurate representation of his vision these past hours on the train and he wasn't sure if this was purely related to the amount of alcohol he had poured down his throat or tears he'd only allowed himself to shed once. Exactly one year ago and only in private like right now. Or a combination of both._

 _The ding of the elevator indicating they reached their destination the only thing that broke his thoughts from the disastrous meeting earlier that day, he pushed himself back on his feet. The path down to his office familiar, almost a second nature, yet strange at this time of day and he's worked long days before. He suddenly wondered if no one in this building has the same work ethic as he does, except for the redhead who's been by his side he added, before he remembered it was actually a Sunday and he never spent those days at the firm himself either._

 _But this Sunday was not like any other Sunday, today was not like any other day and after the run in with his estranged mother and the one man he vowed to never see again, he had ended up here regardless. Not wanting to be alone, yet in an abandoned building. For a moment he thought he saw a shadow of the one woman that's taken on the motherly role in his life almost from the moment the other left when he passed his mentor's office, but it was nothing more than his own reflection._

 _Even his fellow junior partner's office was empty and his gaze briefly landed on the corner. He chuckled once at the memory of how relatively simple it was to convince the other man it had been his own cat that had peed on the carpet. It had only been a few months ago and he was anything but proud of it. He could even hear his father's voice in the back of his mind telling him to get his act together, but Louis just had it coming._

 _His hand heavy against the cold glass partition, he pushed himself back on his feet and finally made his way to his own office. The glare coming from the corner and the soft sounds of Jazz music stopped him in his track and his head slowly turned to the right until he took in the redhead resting on his couch. His head crooked, his lips twitched into a little smile and the imagined critique in his old man's voice soon made place for words Gordon had actually spoken regarding his current view._

 _Teasing comments of how she always made herself at home in his office at the tip of his tongue, he didn't pronounce them. The sight, the music, making him feel exactly like that. At home. He buried his hands inside the pockets of his pants at last and stepped inside the corner office. His head remained tilted to the right and his gaze skimmed over her for a moment, from her red manes spread out over the leather cushions, to the black formfitting dress she was wearing. Her position giving him an even more than usual generous view and he quickly redirected his focus on the record cover she was holding in her hand to finally her long legs resting on the armrest._

 _She sensed his presence at once, jolting back into a sitting position she firmly held onto the cardboard cover. "Harvey, I'm –" The apology she'd been practicing for the better part of the day on the tip of her tongue, his red rimmed eyes and the way he sauntered through the room redirecting her sentence to another topic. "Are you… High?" the last word almost a whisper._

 _He let out a laugh and shook his head, simultaneously pulling out the little bag with joints he picked up from the coffee cart guy on his way back to the firm from the pocket of his pants. "Not yet," he answered, rounding the table. He let himself fall down on the couch beside her, his thigh brushing past her feet._

 _She pulled her legs aside a little further at his sudden proximity. "Drunk," she merely stated then with a soft shake of her head and she instantly knew something must have happened for him to be like this now. "You ran into your mother," her words more an observation than a question._

 _He shrugged, reaching for a tumbler and filled both the glass she had poured herself earlier as well as the new one. "How did you know?" he asked, letting his elbow lean on his knee. He extended his hand with the glass of scotch towards her._

 _She took the glass from his hand, her gaze roaming his posture for a moment. "You were supposed to have the train from Boston right about now," she answered. "Yet you're here," she added looking down at the auburn liquid in her hand. She swirled the glass around a little, not wanting to take a sip from it before he would._

 _He swallowed and nodded once. Pushing his own glass aside, he reached for the little plastic bag again, removing a joint from it. His other hand simultaneously reaching for his father's lighter from the pocket of his pants. He pressed the lever once, but didn't move when his name in her voice echoed through the room. The tone she used both conveying a hint of accusation and concern; neither of which he could really handle now. "She brought that man there," he spoke, his thumb moved the lever down again and he lit the joint then._

 _This time she swallowed in his name, just watching him as he brought the joint to his lips. She didn't know what to say. She knew whom he meant, but she never learned the man's name when Harvey had referred to him as 'that bastard' at Marcus' wedding. She could still remember his standoffish behaviour when she merely suggested he'd talk to his mother prior to that and she knew right now all she could do was just be there for him._

 _He took one smoke, letting himself fall back against the couch then, propping his legs on the coffee table. "It was such a shit-show, Donna," he sighed, shaking his head. His gaze rested on the redhead again. "I can't believe that for a moment I actually thought… I'm so stupid."_

" _You're not," she shook her head, leaning forward her hand lingering above his shoulder for a moment, but she didn't touch him. "You're changing," she whispered when he frowned at her. "A few years ago that thought wouldn't even have crossed your mind."_

 _He knew she was right, she always was, he just wasn't entirely sure he liked her assessment that much. He looked at her again then, the little twitch her lips made enough for him to decide that maybe it wasn't a bad thing after all. He nodded in return._

 _She smiled softly when he didn't rebut her words, but she also realised she wasn't going to get more answers from him and letting him sulk in these thoughts wasn't an option either. Her gaze dropped to his hand and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Now are you going to smoke that entire thing by yourself or are you going to pass it to me?"_

 _He blinked in surprise, shaking his head as he stared at the redhead for a moment. Yet lifting the joint a little to make sure he indeed heard her correctly. She hummed, leaned forward and snatched it from his hands. Moving the joint between her fingers, she brought it to her lips. "I thought you didn't do this nonsense," he commented, using the one word description she'd thrown in his direction a few years prior._

 _She shrugged now, handing the joint back to him. "Can't let you have all the fun now can I?"_

 _._

 _They both laughed loudly, he threw his head back and brought his hand to his head. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as she fell back on the couch. The movement making her stretch her legs, her feet pressed against his leg. Another giggle escaped her lips. "That was the worst joke ever."_

 _He opened his eyes again in that moment and his hand dropped back down, making his fingers brush against her ankle. She tensed up instantly, but she couldn't move either. The way his thumb drew circles over her skin almost having a more intoxicating effect on her than the weed and scotch had until now. "No it wasn't," he answered looking at her again when the motions of his thumb came to a halt and his hand now just lay warm on her foot._

" _Uh. Yeah it was," she argued pushing herself back up. She wrapped her arms around her knee, now letting her own hand run over her leg a few times. Trying to fight the sudden shiver that ran down her spine. The situation suddenly becoming too much, she turned to face the coffee table now, letting her feet slide of the couch in the process._

 _He flexed his left hand. Not entirely sure what had just happened, it hadn't been his intention to touch her. He really hadn't, but until seconds ago, she had let him. Balling his hand into a fist once more, he tried to ignore the questions popping into his mind. Questions he normally didn't even ask himself and he knew deep down that his open mind was to blame to the alcohol and drugs. He just wasn't sure if him touching her had only been caused by those same two things or more._

 _He watched her fill the two crystal tumblers with scotch again. The sight not helping him get his thoughts in order, but he couldn't look away either. Instead he focussed his hearing on the music softly playing in the background. Another thing he hadn't allowed himself to do for a long time._

 _She studied him for a moment. The way he swallowed and how his eyes turned glassy, how his focus was directed on something else and she suddenly remembered the record she had put on earlier that day. Softly nudging his arm, she waited for him to face her again before she handed him the glass back. Their eyes locked for a moment as both of them remained silent. He tore his gaze away then, focussing on the painting on the opposing wall and the record player beneath it at last, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. She watched him raise his glass a little, no doubt in remembrance of his father and she mirrored his motion._

" _I'm sorry," she whispered after taking one sip of his beloved Macallen 18. She stared at the scotch, turning the glass around in her hand. He frowned letting his own glass rest on the armrest as he turned to face her a bit more._

" _Why?"_

 _Her gaze flickered up and her eyes locked with his again, lips twitching into a little smile. "The record," she added then, "I know you haven't listened to one since…" She swallowed in the rest of her words when he swallowed, his gaze remaining on her when he told her it was okay. She nodded once, her shoulders dropping a little, she shifted over the couch for a moment, but made sure to keep her feet on the ground this time. "And for being here. I don't know… It just felt weird not being here," she muttered, not mentioning how she actually blew off a date this very night. He didn't even know she was seeing someone and if she had to be honest, that wasn't even the correct term. It would have been their fifth date and that would mean it was on its way to become something serious and she already knew that it could never become serious with this guy and if there was one thing Donna Paulsen did not do, it was settle. The anniversary of Gordon's death another reason she cancelled._

" _I'm glad you're here," he admitted almost timidly, his words making her look back up again. She tilted her head to the side, wondering where the sudden vocalisation of something she'd never assumed, yet sort of always knew, came from. He swallowed, looking away at the glass in his hand again. "I'm not sure why I went to the firm, but I … I just didn't want to be home and alone."_

 _She swallowed, the words being one of the most sincerest things he's ever said to her and in a way it's completely contradicting the image she kept painting of him to herself over the last few years. "You. Alone," she repeated then, a soft laugh escaped her. "You're never alone. "_

 _He crooked his head in a beat and frowned at her for a moment. "I am."_

" _But you're… You could have walked into any bar and …" she bit her tongue. Not getting the other words over her lips even though she knew them to be the truth. She shouldn't care and she didn't care. Not really, but maybe she did. Just a little bit._

 _He didn't deny her accusation, he knew that to be the case. Instead he said something he had maybe felt for a while, yet never told himself out loud. "I'm not in my twenties anymore, Donna."_

" _Thirty two is the new twenty six, Harvey."_

 _He grinned, the latter number she mentioned his age when they met. Downing the rest of his glass, he looked at her again. "Is it?" he countered, they were the same age after all._

" _I'm not the topic of conversation here," she shot back, shaking her head as she turned to look at the painting again. "Besides, you're eleven months older."_

 _He rolled his eyes at her standard argument when he claimed they were the same age. She was right though as usual, but he still considered it to be the same. He focussed on the music again now that a new song started. "Remember this song?" he asked then._

 _She hummed in agreement, she had recognised it from the very start. Reminding her of the very last time they had danced together. "Last time I heard it was when Marcus got married."_

 _He let her words sink in for a moment, remembering the one thing his father had said to him repeatedly. He let out a soft laugh and he looked at her again when she asked what was wrong. "You know… My dad, he kept asking me when I was going to marry you. He really liked you."_

 _Her breath faltered for a moment and she looked down again. "I liked him too, and you sort of did," she whispered, bringing up the ridiculous deal they made years ago._

 _He smirked at the memory. "I never told him that," he answered. It had been part of their agreement. Never tell anyone, much like the other thing they agreed upon years prior to this one._

" _I know," she spoke, briefly glancing at him over her shoulder. "May have been for the best. It wasn't real."_

 _He swallowed. "It could be."_

" _Harvey –"_

" _Just you and me," he continued. "Great team as always."_

 _She sighed, shaking her head before she looked up at him again. "People don't get married just because they make a great team, Harvey," she answered sternly. "People get married because they love each other and we don't." The pause between her last two words just a second too long, he merely crooked his head. Looking her in the eye. "We work together," she said then._

" _What if we didn't?"_

 _She closed her eyes and swallowed, suddenly wondering why she didn't just send him home when he walked into the office already tipsy. Why she stayed and gave him even more alcohol, but she hadn't been able to leave either. She let out another breath, pushing herself up from the couch in one swift motion. "But we do."_

" _Just think about it."_

 _She bit her lip, not wanting to comment on his last remark. She wasn't going down this path, not again. Her gaze narrowed in on him. Now noticing how he was on the brink of falling asleep. "You need to go home," she changed the subject._

 _He shook his head. "No."_

" _Yes," she argued, putting her shoes back on. "Come on. I'll get you a cab."_

" _I'm not getting into a cab," he argued, letting his head rest back on the couch again. A yawn escaping him. "Just call … Ray," he mumbled, yawning again._

 _She stepped closer, reaching for his arm as he didn't get up on his own yet. "I'm not calling him," she argued, bringing his arm around her shoulder. She tried to lift him from the couch, but his inability to cooperate made the task increasingly more difficult. "Geez, you're heavy," she sighed as she let his body fall back on the couch._

" _You calling me fat, Paulsen?"_

 _She rolled her eyes, her hands on his shoulders. "No," she answered, taking a step back as she tried to get him up again, but once again she didn't succeed. This time he fell to the side, making his body drape over the couch. She sighed now, realising there was no way she'd be able to get him in a cab now. She turned around and walked to the cabinet to reach for a blanket she knew to be there. "You know just as well as I do that muscles weigh more than fat anyway."_

 _Already half asleep, he still grinned. "So you think I'm muscular," he countered, just about managing to flash her his signature grin, before the room was filled with the sound of soft snores._

 _She shook her head. Gently placing the blanket over him, she tried not to wake him. Making her way to the wall, she stopped the record player and turned off the lighting, before she made her way to the door. Stalling one last time, she looked over her shoulder in his direction. "I think you're impossible."_

 _._

 _._

Donna heard the door slam shut in the hallway and all the hope and excitement she had felt started to drain away. One look in his direction enough to confirm her fears. She swallowed, her eyes meeting his at last and she could see how hard tried to calm down.

"We're going home now," he announced.

"What," she mumbled. She could see it hadn't gone as expected, but she didn't assume it had been that bad. "Harvey –"

Marcus got up from his seat. Shaking his head, his hand reached for his brother's arm, but Harvey shrugged him off. "What am I supposed to tell the kids in the morning?" Marcus objected then.

The words having a somewhat calming effect on Harvey. He closed his eyes and looked at the wooden floor for a moment. "You tell them I've got business back in New York," he answered, looking at the redhead again who just shook her head.

"You want me to lie for you?" Marcus countered.

"Goddamn it Marcus," he sighed, dropping his shoulders, he sat down on the armrest of the couch next to Donna. "She had the nerve to say that I owed her an apology," he explained, focussing on the 'I'. His explanation interrupted by knocks on the door. "If that's her, you tell her I've got nothing more to say."

"You know what, Harvey? You can tell her yourself, because I'm done being in the middle of you two." Marcus shook his head, making his way to the door. Donna tried to reach for Harvey's hand, but the older Specter man followed the younger one, leaving her hand hanging in the air.

"Bobby," Marcus stated in surprise.

"Where is he?" Bobby demanded, stepping inside. Automatically looking around he then noticed Harvey entering the hallway too and it set him off. "You son of a bitch," Bobby started. "You think you can just walk into our lives and... And rip open old wounds?"

"Your lives?" Harvey fired back, stepping forward. Ready to go toe to toe with the older man if needed. "You better get the hell out of my face before I do something that you'll regret."

Donna swallowed and bit her lip as she stayed clued on her spot. She knew it wasn't her place to comment, the argument she could hear going on having been in the making before she even met him, but it still pained her to hear it.

"You already did something I regret by talking to your mother the way you did," Bobby answered.

"That woman," Harvey started referring to his mother in one of the most distant ways possible. "Gave up the right to be called my mother when she got together with you behind my father's back."

"Well, maybe you don't consider her to be your mother," Bobby spoke. "But she's my wife," he added and Harvey swallowed once at the mention of that particular word. "And if anyone else spoke to her the way you did, they'd be on the floor right now," he threatened pointing at Harvey.

"You want to take a swing at me?" Harvey shot back, taking another step into the older man's direction.

Donna balled her hand into a fist. Now hearing her brother-in-law calling his name in plead to stop him, she finally pushed herself up from the couch.

"No, no, no," Harvey objected, raising his hand to stop his brother. "Let him get it out of his system, because I know I want to get it out of mine," he stated, his arms already wide in a defensive mode.

"Harvey!"

One word. His name. In her voice. His eyes closed in an instant and his shoulders dropped. Slowly turning to look over his shoulder, all three men now stared at the redhead in the door opening. Harvey took in the pissed yet concerned look in her eyes, the hand protectively placed on top of her stomach and he swallowed.

Bobby's mouth dropped, spotting the pregnant woman he wasn't sure he had met before, but it was clear whose significant other she was. "I didn't come here to fight, Harvey," Bobby tried again. Significantly calmer this time. "I came to tell you I've never seen your mother more excited than when she was heading out to have dinner with you. She was finally going get to reconnect with her son and then you pulled the rug out from underneath her. You took that excitement away. So, when you leave this time, just stay gone."

He couldn't comment, not knowing she was standing right there. As if nailed to the ground, he didn't move, but watched the older man being escorted out by Marcus instead. The sound of the door falling shut made him look up again. His gaze meeting that of his brother's, who just shook his head. "You know," Marcus commented, pointing at the door. "That is exactly why I called mom the other day to cancel. Because it always ends the same with you two. And listen about what Bobby said. He had every right to say it," Marcus shrugged.

"So you're taking his side, now?" Harvey asked in disbelief.

"The only side I'm on. Is my family's, the one you've until very recently never really been a part of," Marcus added, signalling the room around them. "Because like I said, do you know what it's like to tell your kids why their uncle and their grandmother can't be in the same room, cause that's the position you put me in. Year after year. There's a whole life going on here that you're barely been a part of and Bobby and Mom may be monsters to you, to my kids they're grandma and grandpa," he added. "And they could be for your own kid too."

Marcus stepped aside, leaving his brother alone with his thoughts. He stared at the redhead in the door opening again, raising his shoulders for a moment. He dropped them in defeat again, mumbling a 'sorry' as he walked passed her.

Swallowing, his eyes closed again, Harvey brought his hand to the bridge of his nose. Pinching his skin once, the confrontation had given him a major headache. Harvey turned around at last too, not looking up to her just yet. Ashamed she had been there to witness the whole thing happening. He just shook his head and bit his lip.

She let out a breath, stepping forward then. Her hand slid over his arm and he finally lifted his head to look at her. His almost watery eyes locked with hers and all she did was lift herself up on her toes and wrap her arms around his neck. Not exactly knowing what to do either, she just soothed him a little. "I'll do whatever you want," she whispered, feeling his arms wrap around her body. "But you're going to regret it if we leave now."

He let his head rest on her shoulder. "I know."

.

.

 _Her alarm went off and she instantly sat up in her bed, letting out a groan. She brought her hand to her face, pushing her hair aside. Confused, she wondered where this dream had come from. Why after all these years, she had dreamt of Harvey. Him telling her they should get married of all things. A laugh escaped her lips then at the realisation that even in her dream he didn't propose, but just mentioned it as some sort of business proposition._

 _She let her head rest against her hand. Her eyes popped open again when she felt a cold metal against her skin and she hesitatingly directed her gaze to her hand until she stared at the gold diamond clad ring on her finger. The very one she had demanded years ago when he had come to her with his plan._

" _Goddamn it," she sighed. Quickly prying the ring from her hand, she stuffed it back inside the black box that she found on top of her duvet, the box on its turn back into the drawer of her nightstand. "Ooh shit," she exclaimed louder now, when realisation hit her that her dream wasn't just a dream, but based on last night's events._

 _She rolled herself out of bed, nearly tripping over her sheets in the process. She jumped under the shower, cursing herself for even having looked at that stupid ring again last night. For his words, as sudden and almost as random as the first time, to affect her like this again, she had told herself that that shouldn't happen. There was nothing going on between them._

" _Just think about," he had said and apparently she had, or at least she assumed she did. Not remembering when or why she exactly had reached for the damn object again, let alone thought it a good idea to put it on. She moved her washing cloth over her hand, trying to remove a non-existent ring mark from her finger._

 _As pissed as she was. At the situation, at herself and at him, she still made her way to the office as quickly as possible. Feeling responsible for letting him fall asleep on the couch there and she knew how much he'd hate it if others would find him like that. She shouldn't care, but she did. Telling herself it would be unprofessional not to prevent any possible awkward situation from happening and she was anything but unprofessional._

 _She picked up a spare suit on her way over to the firm, still managing to make it to the building before seven thirty and therefore before anyone else. She stormed inside his office and as predicted, she found him sound asleep on his couch. "Harvey," she called for him once. Dropping the bag with his spare suit on the coffee table with a loud bang. She quickly continued to clean up the remnants of last night._

 _His eyes widened at her sudden voice and he let out a groan. He opened one eye, the light blinding him in the process and it could only mean he had one major hangover. He suddenly wondered why he heard her voice then, only to wonder next why he wasn't even at home but his office. He pushed himself up, feeling his back ache in the process and he leaned forward. Letting his head rest in his hands for a moment before he looked up at the redhead._

" _I brought you a suit," she pointed at the bag on the table. "It's almost eight, you should get ready."_

 _He frowned, redirecting his gaze from her to whatever it was she pointed at to his own outfit and back to her. Still wondering why he was in his office, that being the only question leaving his lips. "How did you know I was here?"_

 _Her mouth dropped slowly and she looked away. Muttering a 'typical' to herself, she now felt even more stupid for the entire ring debacle she woke up with. "I didn't," she lied. "Just a hunch," she shrugged, pointing at the bag again, she walked herself out of his office and got started with her usual tasks._

 _He swallowed at her tone. He might have a hangover, but he did know that wasn't her usual tone. Pushing himself up from the couch then, he reached for the bag she pointed at three times now. His gaze fell on two empty glasses in the process, one of them with a lipstick stain in a colour he had seen her wear almost daily and he sighed then realising his own mistake._

 _He made his way over to the men's room to get changed. His gaze instantly searched for the two glasses on his table again when he returned, except this time they weren't there. He frowned for a moment, wondering if he imagined the entire thing._

 _Both their stubbornness the reason he never found out._

 _Just like a lot of other things, this being yet another moment they put out of their minds and never mentioned again. Even if they didn't have to verbally agree on it this time. Their already strange relationship shifted into less and less late nights at the office, comments on the other's relationship and an increase in the distance that was to be kept between them at all times._

 _._

.

He paced through the dining room early that morning. His gaze landing on the redhead sat at the table from time to time while he tried to figure out what to say and how to say it. If anything he didn't want to end up in an argument with Donna about this, he would not be able to handle that as well. Ultimately he wouldn't even been arguing with his brother or mother for that matter, but ultimately his mother had never cheated on his dad and some things you just can't change.

"Aunt Donna?"

Donna looked to the left, her lips twitching into a smile when she spotted the little girl. "Hey Ems," she smiled, signalling for the girl to come sit next to her. She watched Emily climb on the chair next to her and answered her questions about what was going on as much as possible.

"I don't know what to do," Harvey concluded at last as he stopped in front of a chair again. His hands resting on the backrest.

"Harvey –"

"I was thinking about last night and you're right," he continued, not letting her finish her sentence, but he knew she was. He'd regret it if they were to leave now. Not just because it would mean leaving things on bad terms once more, but it could quite possibly impact the future of their child and that was one thing he didn't want. What had happened was between his mother, his father and in a way him, but it wouldn't involve his own son. "It's just…"

Donna looked at him again, letting her hand run over the little girl's hair. "You're stubborn," she commented, watching him crook his head, but he didn't argue with her assessment. "And proud," she added, making him swallow now. "But you need to look at the bigger picture."

"I know," he answered, pushing himself back on his feet again. He walked around the table, making himself sit down next to his niece. Greeting her at last too, he swallowed when the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck in a big hug, telling him she didn't want him to be sad. "Your uncle will make things right with Grandma, princess."

Donna looked Harvey and his niece, she had never really doubted his parenting skills, but this image just confirmed it all. Any kid would be lucky to have Harvey as his father. She smiled proudly at him then, covering his hand with hers. She squeezed his hand once and he turned to face her again. Now smiling at her in return as the little girl cheered happily. "Then we'll go see her this afternoon," Donna stated and he both nodded and crooked his head, questioning the time she mentioned. "Because you need some more time to clear your mind," she reasoned. "And you can't show up empty handed again."

.

Lily let out a sigh as she shifted on the couch, turning to face her husband again. "This can't be it, right?" she asked. Looking at Bobby for an answer, but before he could speak she continued. "I can't lose him again," she admitted, her hand tapping against her leg. "You know he's going to be a dad."

"I know," Bobby nodded, giving his wife a soft smile. He held her hand for a moment. "I saw them," he hadn't even had the chance to mention that detail to his wife last night.

Lily frowned at his words. "Them? Donna's here in Boston too?" she asked, making Bobby confirm her assumption. Explaining the sight he had seen at Marcus's house. Lily took a deep breath then, pushing herself off the couch. "I'm going over to Marcus, try to talk to Harvey."

"Are you sure?" Bobby asked, he hated seeing his wife get hurt and last night had been an example of how badly things could go between his wife and her oldest son.

Lily nodded. "It's not just about the two of us anymore," she reasoned. "I have to try."

.

Marcus made his way over to the door and opened it before the third firm knock echoed through the room. "Mom," he spoke to the woman on the other side of the door.

Lily gave her youngest son a small smile, she tried to look past him into the rest of the house. "Are they here?" she asked then, remembering how Bobby had told her he had seen Harvey and the pregnant redhead at Marcus's place. "Harvey and Donna," Lily added.

Marcus shook his head. "They're not," he answered. "But they haven't left yet."

Lilly bobbed her head up and down and smiled for a moment. "Could you let him know I'd like to talk to him?"

Marcus thought for a moment, but shook his head at last. "I could," he admitted, "but I won't." He reached for his wallet form the pocket of his pants, pulling Harvey's business card from it. He handed the card to his mother. "For the past twenty years I've had to play messenger between the two of you and I'm not going to do that anymore."

Lily swallowed, taking the card from her son's hand. She studied the phone number for a moment, before she looked back up. Never having apologised to him for putting him in this position either. "I'm sorry," she admitted.

Marcus nodded slowly. He knew his mother meant it and he had never imagined himself saying this, but it had just gotten too much and the only fair thing was telling his mother the same thing he told his older brother. "You should just call him," Marcus reasoned, signalling the cart. "Or go see him, like he tried to see you. And if you want to do that while they are still in Boston, you're more than welcome to come over later today. I just don't want to be in the middle of you two anymore, it's not fair."

Lily pressed her lips into a thin line. "I do hope to see you this afternoon too," she commented, before she turned on her heel.

"Mom," Marcus called after Lily, watching the woman turn around again. "Maybe you could… I don't know bring something for your future grandson. Might make things a bit easier."

Lily smiled now. "I will."

.

Harvey held Donna's hand and followed her through the department store. Just listening to her comments on what they could and couldn't bring when he was going to see his mother again and more importantly when he was going to introduce her as his very pregnant fiancée. He had argued that she had already met his mother and that Lily already knew about her, but she had reasoned it was different this time around. Before she had just been his secretary, a friend of the family at most.

They eventually decided on a bouquet of flowers and a framed copy of the latest sonogram. A symbol of the new start all of them were making. Not quite ready to go over to Lily's just yet, they browsed another floor. Just holding the other close while they wandered through the store.

"Harvey Specter, is that you?"

Both of them turned around at the sudden voice. Donna stared at the man she had never seen before and wondered why she didn't know this person that clearly knew Harvey. She tilted her head then, looking at the lawyer by her side, seeing his frown turn into a big grin.

"Thomas Sullivan," Harvey answered, extending his hand to greet his old friend. "Long time no see. Thomas this is Donna, my fiancée," he introduced the redhead by his side. He smiled at her again. "Thomas worked in the gym and used to lose from me in the boxing ring more times than he'd like to admit."

Thomas let out a laugh, shaking his head before he extended his hand and greeted Donna. "Nice to meet you, Donna. Just so you know, that's not true at all. It was quite the opposite to be exact"

Donna smiled now, the picture of why she had never heard of this man becoming clearer now. He wasn't a lawyer and if the man across her did indeed beat Harvey, it made even more sense why Harvey never mentioned him.

"So I never thought I'd see you settle down," Thomas commented.

"Well you thought that wrong," Harvey answered. "I did."

"Ooh," Donna laughed, squeezing his hand while she looked at the other man. "Took him long enough to realise that too," she added turning to face Harvey again. "How about you two catch up, I want to look at some clothes for this one here before we leave," she pointed at her baby bump.

Harvey smiled at the redhead. "I'll be there soon," he answered before she walked off and he turned to face his old friend again. Now asking the man how his life had been.

.

With forty-five minutes to spare before class Lily stepped into the elevator and pressed the button of the third floor, taking her to the kids department. She looked left and right, taking in the floor plan while she remembered her son's words _. "And I want my son to get to know his grandparents from both sides, not just his mom's."_

"A little boy," she whispered to herself, turning to the left. She made her way to the infant section of the floor, bringing back memories of when she bought something for her two other grandchildren and even when Gordon and her browsed the aisles of the store's original building back in New York to get something for their first born. The store having been too expensive for them back in the day, but Gordon had insisted on buying at least one little thing.

Lily smiled at the memory and deep down knew her son would act the exact same way, regardless of the fact that he was loaded and she could only imagine how stuffed the baby room for her future grandchild would be by now.

She turned right, ignoring the selection of numerous stuffed animals, Lily browsed the aisles with little rompers instead. She spotted one that looked like a suit and it made her grin at the image of a miniature lawyer, but she also considered it to be the type of clothing someone else might have picked out already. She didn't really know, but she assumed the couple to have a great group of friends. She settled for a blue striped variant at last, something for everyday use she knew a new mother would appreciate.

Pausing to let a little family walk past her, Lily's gaze suddenly found a redhead from the corner of her eye. She blinked once, making sure she actually saw a redheaded woman and she wondered what the odds would be to run into her son's significant other like this. She also knew that chance was slim, but she had to try.

Moving two aisles down, Lily now noticed that the woman she spotted was in fact pregnant and her hopes in running into her daughter-in-law grew the slightest. She quietly approached the woman, pretending to be browsing the clothes on display there she glanced to her right at the very pregnant woman and even though she'd only seen the woman once before and never actually spoke to her, Lily recognised her instantly.

She turned to look at the shelves in front of her again then, suddenly feeling extremely overwhelmed at the situation. She was standing next to her son's past and future and she realised once more how little she'd been part of that and how much she could miss of that if they didn't reconcile.

A strong kick from the baby made Donna break out of her daydream and she placed the pair of shoes back on the shelves. She brought her hand to her stomach, trying to sooth their baby as she scanned the rest of the products on display. Her gaze landed on the little romper in the hands of the woman next to her then. "Ooh that romper is adorable," she stated without really looking at the woman, her own hand picking the next piece from the shelve.

Lily tensed at the sudden statement from the redhead, she hadn't expected the woman to address her and she had still been trying to figure out what to say herself. She glanced to her right then, noticing how the redhead was looking at products on display and Lily wondered if the woman even recognised her, she couldn't even blame her if she didn't. "I'm expecting a grandchild soon," she spoke then, still flustered.

Donna smiled softly, placing the shoes back she blindly reached for something else. She flinched once when the baby kicked again and she had no clue why she did it, but there was something familiar about this woman next to her that made her reach for the woman's hand, placing it on top of her stomach.

The sudden movement took Lily by surprise, but it was incredible and everything she feared to miss since her fight with her son last night combined. She looked at the redhead then, taking one deep breath before she spoke. "Congratulations Donna," she whispered. "I hope he's happy."

Donna instantly looked to her left, her eyes now locking with the woman next to her for a second. They had a slightly different colour, but the overall look unmistakably the same as those of the man she loved so much, and the sudden appearance mixed with the woman's words completely knocked the wind out of her. "I… You…" she stuttered, unable to form a sentence.

Lily smiled softly, now coming to the conclusion the redhead did indeed recognize her. "Hi," she mouthed, gently placing her hand on Donna's arm, she caught a glimpse of her watch in the process. "It's so nice to finally meet you," she pulled her hands back and took one last look at her watch. "And I'm so sorry at this incredibly unlucky timing as I'm running late for a class, but will you two please stop by at the college for tea this afternoon?"

Donna swallowed, still trying to wrap her brain about what just happened. "I'd uhm… have to ask – "

"Please?" Lily asked again. "I regret how things went yesterday and if anything, I'd just like to tell him that," she explained, pressing her lips into a thin line. All she could do was hope the redhead would accept her invitation. Donna just nodded in understanding and Lily mimicked the gesture. "I do hope to see you both."

Donna let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when the woman disappeared from her vision, her left hand still firmly pressed against her bump. She just stood there unable to move until she felt a hand slide over the small of her back.

"Hey," Harvey greeted her, placing a kiss on her cheek. He noticed how distracted she seemed as she just hummed in agreement. His gaze dropped to her hand then and a small laugh escaped his lips. He reached for the piece of clothing then, removing it from her grip. "This is really cute and all, but I don't think Gordon wants a pink tutu."

He watched her turn to face him now. The way she briefly looked at the item he placed back and the way she shook her head. Probably wondering how she even ended up with it in her hands. He crooked his head, studying her face for a second when her response was anything but what he expected it to be. He raised his hand then, lifting her chin, he made their eyes meet again. "Is everything okay?"

"I just ran into your mom."


End file.
